Trespasser
by The Cliffhanger Girl
Summary: He's mysterious, known only for his scars hidden behind his mask that remains on his face ever since that day. No one has ever dared to step a foot on his property, until, a Clare Edwards' soccer ball rolls into his yard...
1. Scarred Face

**Author's Note From TurboWiz70-**Hey everyone! Turbo here! I hope you guys are excited to read this! Cliffy and I have had so much fun working on this collaboration so far and we can't wait to see what you guys think! We have a lot in store for you, so buckle up and enjoy the ride! Read, review, enjoy!

**Author's Note From Cliffhanger Girl-**Hey guys! You are in for a real treat, and I hope you're preapred for the awesomeness of a story that Turbo and I have been working on. I've done several stories, and I must say, this is one of my favorites I've ever writtten...and that couldn't have happened without the collaboration with Turbo. So please, read, review/alert/subscribe! :)

**Twitter**: TurboWiz70 and TheCliffyG

**Rated M:** Themes and Language

**Trespasser will be updated every: **Saturday

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_**Trespasser**_

_**Chapter One: Scarred Face**_

**CLARE POV**

"Come on Clare, why don't you pull your head out of that book for one hour and play with that soccer ball your father bought you for your birthday?" my mother asked me, breaking my eyes away from the latest sequel of my favorite author's edition, _Stalker Angel_. I placed the flimsy-paged _book_ on the coffee table while slowly making my way over to the kitchen.

"Why? So I can pretend it's his head?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest while glaring at my mother, who was baking a cake for the Fitzgerald's, our new neighbors across the street.

"Oh, honey, just give him a chance. We're all new to this divorce thing and we're both trying to start over on a fresh slate." My mother continued to shape her cake as I said, "I'll go out and play with the ball, **_if_ **you give me thirty-five bucks for the third volume of _Stalker Angel_. It already came out, but I can't afford it yet. The babysitting job failed, only because your co-workers kids are animals."

"I think it's best if you stay away from that dark writing, especially that one guy...what's his name…?"

"Ari Gold," I reminded her in exasperation, for what must've been the millionth time.

"Yes, that man must have crazy thoughts in his head, and I really don't think it's appropriate for a girl your age to read," she commented on the author's writing, as if she's actually read the volumes, like I have, in grave detail. His works were immaculate, and plus the fact that his fans gave him the name "scarred face", so that probably threw my mother off a bit. Rumor has it he is a teenager, which is why I believe his writing is _**so **_relatable.

"Mom, his website says he's sixteen," I whined.

"And that makes it even more disturbing," she argued, facing the mirror in the hallway, "What kind of person thinks of stuff like _**that **_at sixteen?"

_People with imagination, _I thought inwardly as she zipped up the side of her new dress, grinning at her reflection in the mirror.

"Besides that, Clare, you know about the internet and strangers; just because some website, that he probably doesn't control, says his age, doesn't mean it's true."

"But if it is true, and we are the same age, then his writing is fit for me," I voiced aloud this time. My mother paid no attention to me as she returned to the kitchen to grab her cake, then said, "I'll give you the money for your book thingy if you play soccer with the new neighbor's kid; his name is Mark, but everyone calls him Fitz."

"That's not fair," I pouted, groaning in annoyance as she waved the money in my face, teasing me. My hand couldn't grab the tiny wad of cash fast enough as I commented, "His name sounds like a stale chip."

"Clare, honey, please just be nice to these people. I met his father in the grocery store earlier and he told me his son was enrolling into Degrassi next week. He's going to be a junior, just like you. Maybe you can start over too; maybe this can be your new beginning, Clare! New school year, new friends, new…boyfriend."

This is what she always did to me, dragged me into these awkward situations – away from my _Stalker Angel_ reading, might I add – while she attempted to talk off the single father's head.

Knowing that there was no point in debating with her, I bent down to grab the soccer ball by the door before trailing behind my mother, who was already approaching our new neighbor's door with that big, fake, cheesy smile on her face. My heart sunk into my stomach when a middle-aged man, around my mother's age, opened the door.

"Helen Edwards! It's so nice to see you again. You look beautiful, as always, I presume. And who might this little one be? Clara, was it?" I glared at him, making sure that, if I could, my eyes would burn holes through his head as I spat, "It's Clare, actually."

"Right, right," he excused himself for a moment, only to call out Fitz's name. I rolled my eyes, growing impatient and bored with this boy already. My foot tapped unintentionally, but I stopped, hearing Mr. Fitzgerald's voice call out, "He'll be right out, Clara. In the meantime, Ms. Edwards, why don't you come inside and we can dig into that cake of yours? I'm sure that vanilla frosting of yours must be in grave tact."

"Oh, that sounds delightful," she chirped, as I turned around, bile creeping up my throat from that intense flirtation. I crossed the street and placed the ball on the ground, only to begin kicking it off my garage door. My anger getting the best of me, as I threw my leg back and kicked the ball with all my might. It bounced back to me and I stopped it with my foot.

I had accepted the fact that my parents were now divorced and all that jazz, but the idea of my mom flirting with someone else made all my frustrations come alive, and this was not for the first time. Wanting to take it all out on something, I gave the soccer ball another good kick; so good, in fact, I'm sure it would be screaming in pain if it wasn't an inanimate object.

"You know, if you keep that up you're going to bust a hole through your garage."

My body shook for a quick second from the foreign voice. I turned my head, to see a blue-eyed boy, whom was wearing no shirt, and was eyeing me like I was his prey.

"Would it kill you to put a shirt on? I mean, it's almost a hundred degrees out, I get it; but, you don't see me walking around outside with no shirt on," I spat, kicking the ball once more, loving the echoing _clanking _noise I was creating.

My eyes widened when Fitz picked up the soccer ball, while saying, "Skipping the introductions then? Fine by me. So, tell me a little about yourself, Clare. We both know you don't want to kick around a soccer ball like two-year-olds all day."

"Actually," I snapped, ripping the ball out of his hands and placing it back down on the cement, "I was paid thirty-five dollars for a new edition of my favorite author's short story series. In exchange for the money, I have to be outside with a shirtless, smug, hormonal teenage boy all day."

"Oh please, Clare, you know you can't resist this. When you first looked at me, I saw that look in your eyes, you were ready to pounce." He gestured to his bare torso, and I giggled, resting my hands on my knees for support. When I looked up, to see Fitz confused as to why I didn't comment on his 'hot bod', I composed myself, then responded, "I only go after guys who express a personality, and _you_, my friend, are not one of them."

Fitz's confused expression plastered on his face made me sigh in disappointment as I rubbed my temples. Boy, this kid was dumber than I thought.

"I like guys for their personality, Fitz; not for their looks or sex," I said, as he chuckled, "I have lots of personality, Clare. You severely underestimate the old Fitz-inator. I like to w-work out, see movies with gorgeous girls like you, and word on the street is I'm very good in the sack."

His elbow roughly nudged into my side when I didn't respond quick enough for his liking. I sighed loudly before saying, "Listen Fitz, honestly, we're on two totally different pages in two completely different books. Just because our two single, desperate parents interact, doesn't mean we have to. I've been doing quite fine on my own since my last boyfriend and I love every minute I get with myself."

This guy was a complete douchebag; his actions, along with his so-called "personality", disturbs me to a whole new level. But, if this guy's dad makes my mother happy, then I guess I will just have to withstand his jock-like, immature behavior.

"You're not much of a talker," Fitz noted as I kicked the ball against the right side of the garage, causing it to roll around Fitz's feet. I growled in frustration, as I watched him kick the ball over my fence . . . where it would bounce into our creepy neighbors' yard.

"Go get it," I ordered, pointing to the yard as the heat was starting to get to me. I shook my head, raking my fingers through my knotted, short curls. The faint stars blurring my vision had quickly disappeared as I continued to blink rapidly.

"Isn't that kind of work a woman's job?" he asked, as the blood in my veins was beginning to boil in anger. He had clearly not heard about this family yet and, evidently, it was my duty to explain it to him.

"No one _ever_ goes in the Goldsworthy's yard, mainly because the mansion from the outside looks haunted, and no one has actually got a good, up-close view of the family. So please, Fitz, just go and get the ball. Do something useful for once in your life, would you?"

Yes, maybe a bit extreme, but I did _**not **_want to step foot on that property unless I had no choice.

"Let's make a deal," he said, and by the devious look on his face, I knew my side of this bargain was going to be close to impossible to hold up. "I will get the ball," he continued; I nodded, egging him to go on and put this unneeded suspension to rest, "if you have sex with me."

Oh, tough choice. Rolling my eyes, I stepped away from the horn dog and moved towards the iron fence.

"Hey-where are you going?" he called out to me, clearly not expecting me to have the guts…to be truthful, though, I did not expect it either.

I opened the Goldsworthy's gate and shouted, "I'd rather be sucked into a haunted house, and never come back, than let you put your dirty, grubby hands on me."

My heart raced uneasily as I searched for the stupid soccer ball, my eyes scanning each area of the yard to the best of my visions ability.

Once Fitz finally stopped talking, the realization hit me like a ton of bricks. I was currently standing in _**dangerous**_ territory. I swallowed the growing lump in my throat when I caught sight of several other abandoned basketballs, baseballs, and such.

The rest of the front yard was like something out of the horror movies. The grass was dead and covered in leaves – which was odd, considering it was still summer – and the creepy, dead-looking tree that was off to the side made me a bit more on edge. My pace was slow as I looked for my ball, but I could not resist but look up at the house as well. It wasn't too big; in fact, except for the shutters over the windows and the litter of leaves, twigs, and debris on the porch, it would've been remarkably similar to all the other houses on the block.

I hardly spent a second more sightseeing; I just wanted to find the ball Fitz kicked into the yard and get out of there before someone noticed that I was here. After five seconds, I noticed my ball sitting innocently in the leaves a mere three yards away from me.

"Oh, there you are," I smiled, making my way further into the yard, to pick up my soccer ball.

I knelt down to grab the ball, relieved that no one – or nothing – noticed me. At least, that's what I thought . . .

My plan was to grab the ball and get out of there as quick as possible, but, seconds later, I knew that it was not going to be an option.

My hands instantly froze, my body tensing up, as I heard the crunching of leaves. My palms began to sweat, causing my grip on the ball to slip when my eyes gazed upon two, black patterned sneakers before me.

_**I was at a loss for words. **_

All at once, the haunting stories of the family behind my house raced through my mind. I remembered the one KC – my ex-boyfriend – told me; evidently, the teenage boy who lived in this house thrived on teenage girls and lived for the thrill of dragging them into his dungeon by their hair while they struggled. He told me that legend has it that he would bite their necks and drain them of their blood while he laughed at their pain.

Then, I remember the story my best friend Adam told me; he said that the teenage boy would cover his face with a mask, only because he didn't want the girls he tortured to remember what he looked like because then he would be caught in the act. I also recalled that Adam had said that this boy could smell fear from miles away, like a vampire.

_**I smiled a bit, seeing how unrealistic that sounds…until I realized how I could be one of those girls. **_

My head hesitantly moved upwards, my body still motionless as I glanced up, to see a shaggy, black-haired boy, with piercing green eyes, shown only through a mask, in which his face is hidden behind.

_**Who was he…and more importantly, what was he going to do to me? **_

**END OF CHAPTER 1**

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**So *insert awkward cough* how'd ya'll like it? :)**

**We promise it gets much MUCH more intense as the story progresses...**

Love you guys,

Cliffhanger Girl and TurboWiz70

3

P.S. Reviews are always welcome, but keep them to constructive criticism at the most! :P


	2. Rub Salt In My Wounds

**Author's Note from TurboWiz70 –** OH MY GLOB! ONE CHAPTER AND 36 REVIEWS! That's just . . . I'm speechless! Thank you guys so much for the support you've given me and Cliffy so far! I'd put a heart here, but FFN has a grudge against the less than sign, so I'll smile instead :). Here's Chapter Two of "Trespasser"! Read, review, enjoy!

**Author's Note from The Cliffhanger Girl-**Your guys' support on this story is just...*le fangirl sigh when Eclare gets back together and makes out on you tv* amazing :) Please continue doing what you're doing, because that's what will get you another chapter each Saturday!

**Twitter:** TheCliffyG and TurboWiz70

**Trespasser will be updated every:** Saturday

**If you follow us on Twitter, a sneak peek will be tweeted to the next chapter every Tuesday night! **

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**_Chapter two: Rub Salt In My Wounds_**

**ELI POV**

She hasn't moved an inch…but why?

I continued to glare at her, trying to intimidate her to walk away, to run away, to scream for her mother. But she didn't do anything but continue to glare back, radiating what I was throwing right at her.

_Why wasn't she screaming or running away? _

My thoughts were broken when I noticed how her blue eyes had somewhat softened, but the confused expression on her face had yet to vanish. I gulp, swallowing the lump in my throat as I decide to offer her a hand.

This way, the quicker she gets up and gets her ass off my property, the quicker I can get back to writing the next edition of _Stalker Angel._

She watches my every move and I smirk behind my mask. I couldn't help but let my lips curl into a twisted smile when she flinched at my outward hand. She probably thought I was going to hit her, or even worse, "drag her into my house by the hair on her head because I live for the thrill of fear from helpless teenager girls". Oh, what some people say about me; the list goes on forever and it only makes my lungs bust quicker after I hear each one.

The girl is puzzled, frozen in her tracks as I inch my hand further near her face, to show I want her to take it and stand. She smiles faintly at me before her hand touches my palm.

We both gasp, pulling back our hands away from each other.

Her blue eyes are wide, but not because of fear, only because of the jolt of electricity we both felt when our skin had touched. I could feel my heart thumping rapidly against my chest as I dare not to look in her direction.

_**It would only bring her pain, and one more thing to fear in her life…**_

But we continue to stare at each other, both of us afraid, or most likely traumatized on her part, of what would happen if we stopped. Her pink, plump lips are parted slightly, her hitched breaths the only noise filling the air.

Until, an angry, irritating male voice fills my ears…

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**FITZ'S POV**

I watch the whole scene from over the fence. I see Clare looking for the ball…I see her retrieving it…everything was normal…

_Until I saw him…_

I couldn't believe I did not see him come out of that_** lair**_ that people call a mansion. I now see him behind his mask – which looked phantom-like and covered his face – staring down at Clare. I watch them for a minute and then, next thing I know, I was in his yard.

"Hey, get the hell away from her, you freak!" I sneer at the strange, deranged teenager with the mask hiding his face. Thank God he has it on; who knows what lies beneath that dark, gothic shit he wears over his worthless body.

"Did you hear me? Or does the mask go around the whole head?" I joked, as Clare tried to pull me away from him, but I only shook her grip off to point at the masked freak. "Listen here, you do anything to even look in her direction, I promise that I'll put you where you belong…"

Clare glared at me as I spat on his shoes, "In the circus, behind caged bars."

"Fitz, that's enough. He didn't hurt me, he just helped me up," Clare whispered in a calm tone, but I didn't believe it. I gave him one last rough shove to the chest before saying, "I mean what I said; I'm not afraid to put you in your fucking place."

I bent down to pick up the ball and handed it to Clare, "Here, let's go."

My hand interlocks with Clare's as I have to practically drag her out of that creep's yard. An aggravated growl escaped my lips as we finally reach Clare's front lawn.

"Why did you do that?" she spat at me, her cheeks red with fury as I said, "I practically saved your ass from being dragged into that house and raped; the least you could do is thank me."

"You probably hurt his feelings," Clare said, ripping her hand out of my grip.

"Oh give me a goddamn break Clare!" I shouted at her naïve perspective. "Hurt his feelings? He's got a fucking mask on his face; obviously there's something wrong with him!"

"You know what, Fitz? You're a smug, stupid, pathetic asshole…and there's a lot more that I can add onto, but I don't want to, considering we're outside in public where people can hear us," she hissed, walking up the steps to her house as I said, "You really hurt my feelings, Clare; maybe if I put on a mask, you'll pity fuck me too."

"People have feelings, Fitz, and whether you like it or not, judging a book by its cover can destroy a person. Who knows what he can be doing. For all we know, he can go back into his house and hang himself; how would you feel then? Would you put him in a cage in a circus then? Huh?"

I didn't know how to respond; so, instead, Clare did, by chucking the soccer ball at my head and then slamming her front door…

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**ELI'S POV**

How dare she! How can she expect to come on **_my _**property and believe to get away unnoticed? Why couldn't she be like the other people whose junk always ends up in my yard and move along when they see my house?

Angered, I climbed the stairs and moved down the hall until I found my room. There was barely any light in the room because the two windows had shutters over them and they'd been boarded shut so they were impossible to open. The only source of light came from the dimming lamp that was on my desk so I could write. I traveled over to my seat and turned to my desk, which was covered by pens, blank pages, crumbled up pieces of paper, and a pile of what I had completed for this portion of my writing. I picked up the pen that was closest to my hand before I attempted to continue writing the newest edition of _Stalker Angel_.

I began scribbling one or two lines down…then I stopped.

That girl had entered my mind again and it frustrated me; I was doing just fine until _**she**_ decided to trespass and distract me. Now all I could see was her face, her lips, her whitened face, her eyes…oh, those brilliant blue eyes! I could not put my finger on it but there was something about those eyes, something about _her_, that made my mind go into frenzy. I wanted to see her again, I wanted to know her, I wanted to learn her story, and I wanted to see what made her who she was…

"No," I growled, forcing myself to come back to earth and out of the clouds, "No, you can't."

Growling in annoyance that I've allowed myself to think such a way, I looked up at the wall in front of me and saw my framed picture of Chuck Palahniuk's autograph. I reached for it and took it down; as I removed it, I was able to see through the small window I had created myself. I don't look through it often; only to be sure no one was planning on coming toward the house.

_**This**_ was how I knew that girl was in my yard.

As I put the frame back over the window, I began wishing that I did not feel the need to look outside; all it did was distract me from my muse, therefore giving me no choice but to put on my mask and get her away from the house.

It was then that I remember that I was still wearing my mask. I took it off and put it to the side, resenting the reason I had to wear it.

I only keep one mirror in the house, but I only used it to be that the mask covered the skin on my face and the features that resided on it. I loathed looking at myself. Not only did I see a hideous soul, but also all the unpleasant memories…the memories that made me hate myself.

I shook my head in attempt to clear my mind of any distractions before trying to write again. I got half a page done...but then, that blue-eyed girl decided to waltz into my thoughts again. Annoyed, I threw my pen down on the ground, buried my face in my hands, and growled.

How long is this girl's presence in my mind going to last?

I stood up, grabbing my mask and covering my face, before deciding to throw on my jacket and go for a little walk. It's already dark outside, so hopefully the people who see me will get scared and not bother me…

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**CLARE POV**

"Honey, the Fitzgeralds are here! Come downstairs please!" my mother called up for me from downstairs as I glanced at myself in the mirror in disgust. My mom thinks that dressing me up in a flower dress will show Fitz and Nick that I'm an innocent, elegant young lady.

"Clare!" I growled, "I'm coming, Mom!"

I glanced between my second volume of _Stalker Angel_ – which I have yet to finish today, due to the endless, annoying amount of distractions – and my open door which led to my doom. I took a deep breath and toyed with the cross on my neck…

_**God help me. **_

"Oh, Clare-there you are sweetheart. Aw, don't you look beautiful in that flower dress." Everyone in the kitchen turned their head towards me as my cheeks burned the color red with embarrassment. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I approached the table and my mother asked, "Why don't you help me serve the dinner Clare? Fitz here helped finish up the chicken for us."

Fitz grinned at me and I sighed, plopping down next to Nick, otherwise known as Fitz's father, "I'd rather not; I'm tired."

"I feel you, Clare, it's been a really long day for the both of us," Nick winked at my mother, who just shook her head and grinned, "Oh Nick, stop it; the children are around."

"Will you guys **_please_** just stop that for one second? The only reason I'm down here is to eat and if I wasn't so hungry I'd be locked upstairs in my bedroom without a care in the world, reading. So please, you can have sex all you want after dinner," I said, and after those words left my mouth, I was just as shocked as my mother.

Spending the entire day with Fitz, along with trying to forget about the boy from the Goldsworthy yard, must've taken a bigger toll on me than I originally thought. I sighed, excusing myself from the table, "Sorry Mom, I'm just…tired."

As I made my way up the steps, I heard footsteps following me and I growled, watching Fitz coming upstairs too. I hoped that I wouldn't have to see him if I quickly returned to my room…unfortunately, he invited himself into it. He didn't say a word, only glanced around my room curiously, a grin on his devious, irritating face.

"Can't you just go downstairs and eat dinner with them? I want to be alone," I pleaded, as Fitz continued to gaze around my room before picking up by Stalker Angel _book._

A growl escaped my lips as I went to reach for it, but he held the book above his head, out of my reach. "Give it, Fitz! You know, I've only known you for a day and I'm already fed up with you and your stupid dad!"

"Get over yourself, Clare. My dad and I are here to stay. Well, not physically yet, but my dad has marked his territory with your mom." He grinned as I jumped up to reach for my book, tears streaming down my face. "P-Please Fitz, touch anything but the book. It's my favorite, and I don't want it bent! You're bending the edges, please stop it!"

"Stop your whining, Clare; it's just a book…it doesn't have feelings," he said, snorting because of his obnoxious laugh.

"Please, Fitz, this is the only thing I actually believe in anymore."

Fitz chuckled, before walking towards my balcony door.

"Oh, come on Clare, it's just a stupid book. It's not even a book; it's a flimsy ass paperback magazine! It's not like it's going to cry like a baby when it doesn't get its way."

He referred to me as I wiped away my tears.

"Just please…give me the _book._"

"You want it, go get it," I was too slow to reach for _Stalker Angel_ before Fitz chucked it out the balcony, where it would land on the dirty, muddy ground. A mixture of fury and sadness crept into my veins and I clenched my fists.

"GET OUT!"

"But Clare-."

I shook my head, "GET THE HELL OUT, FITZ! I MEAN IT!"

"Or what Clare? What are you going to do? Put a mask on me?" he said, his voice monotone as he nudged my shoulder on the way out of my room.

Once I heard the door close, I slid down on the floor in my bedroom, clutching my knees to my chest. My mother was going to move onto this asshole and he, along with his jackass of a son, would move into our house. My father doesn't want me in his life anymore, due to the fact he's started his own new family. Darcy is never going to come back from Kenya because Peter went to visit her once and now she decided to move in with him there.

But then, there's me…

_Where do I fall into this equation? _

Everyone around me seems to get happier except for me.

I gasped, feeling a cold breeze fill my bedroom when I noticed that Fitz had never closed the balcony door. Tears continued to stream down my face, as I sniffled, not wanting to go outside to see what the condition of my _Stalker Angel_ book looked like.

"What is this?" I whimpered, hearing a crunching noise beneath my feet.

I slowly bent down, leaning on my knees as I glanced down at a tiny note, being held down by a pebble, shaped in a heart. I swallowed the growing lump in my throat, while parting my lips to try to breathe as much as possible and calm myself down.

My heart flutters, my tears immediately drying, at the contents of this note…

_"Don't worry dear, your book is unharmed and in good hands. But, if you wish to have it back in your well-guided possession, I would love to meet you again in the same spot as today, same time. Your presence intrigues me, blue eyes, and I'd love to glance at you one last time. _

_Sincerely, _

_Masked Boy _

_P.S. Please don't bring along the shirtless bimbo. That would be greatly appreciated."_

My lips curled up in a devious grin; I'm going to go meet this boy tomorrow, same time, same place, without a care in the world because I deserve to be happy, just like everybody else.

**END OF CHAPTER 2**

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**Feedback would be lovely! :) **

Hope everyone has a good week! Until next Saturday!

Love you guys,

Cliffhanger Girl and TurboWiz70

3


	3. Show Me You Care

**Author's Note From TurboWiz70: ***pinching* *pinching* OMG! It's not a dream! We have WAY over 50 reviews and this is only the third chapter! INCREDIBLE! Thank you so much for the reviews and everything guys! I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter (and the rest of the story). Read, review, enjoy!

**Author's Note From The Cliffhanger Girl :** The support on this story is unbelievable and shocking, Turbo and I knew this story would be something special. So please, bear with us, and enjoy chapter three! Don't forget to drop a review at the end :)

**Twitters:** TheCliffyG and TurboWiz70

**Trespasser will be updated every:** Saturday

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**_Trespasser_**

**_Chapter 3: Show Me You Care_**

**ELI'S POV**

Maybe I was crazy…maybe I made a mistake…but I wouldn't know until I tried.

Time after time last night I tried to forget the girl who came into my yard, but only to find that I could not. I circled the neighborhood last night, but I paused at her house; I knew it was her house because I watched her and that jackass – who I assume is her boyfriend – walk inside it together.

As I stood outside her balcony, I knew I had to see her again. I also knew that I could not be in her life, for it would not help anyone; it wouldn't help me and it** _definitely_ **wouldn't help her. Just one last time I wanted to see her face and eyes, so I had to make one last attempt to read her.

My plan came into my mind when I saw her **_book_** fly out of the window. It was about to hit the mud below when I caught it. Curious as to what this girl would be reading, I gazed at it and a lopsided smile crossed my lips; she had a copy of the second volume of _Stalker Angel._

**_So she reads my work?_**

It was flattering to know this fact. I then heard her shouting at someone, telling them to get out. Was she really affected that her book was thrown out the window?

Whether she was or wasn't, I was holding the key that would allow me to see her again and I was not going to pass that up. Being the writing addict I am, I pulled out the pen and pocket-sized notebook from my jacket and quickly scribbled my note to her. Thankful that the balcony was not far above my head, I picked up a small, heart shaped rock and put the note up there with the rock on top of it.

I hurried back to my house, not sure if I should expect her or not.

I was living on the ounce of hope that she would come to me to retrieve her book, but that was all I had. And it was kind of heartbreaking to know that it would only be because of the book that she would come.

**_But that was better than nothing, right?_**

Trying to forget the negative and trying to only focus on the fact that I could possibly be seeing those wonderful eyes and angelic face again, I checked the time on the clock on my side table.

_It was almost time to meet her._

My stomach got that weird sensation between pain and pleasure as I pulled on my mask, grabbed the work, left my room, descended the stairs, and stepped into the yard. I journeyed over to the spot I first laid eyes on her, twenty-four hours ago.

I stood there patiently with the book in my hands, hoping that this beauty was not spending time with her douche of a boyfriend and was going to make it...

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**CLARE'S POV**

I slept with the note under my pillow last night. Yes, maybe a bit strange on my part, but it gave me comfort…it made me feel wanted and special. The masked boy wrote that note for **_me _**and for **_me _**alone; it was nice to know that someone had taken seconds out of their day to only think of my existence for once.

I was now running a brush through my curls when I saw that it was almost time to meet him. Smiling, I pulled on my denim jacket and moved out of my room with quick paced, joy-filled steps.

I was trying to determine whether I was more excited to see this boy or to get my _Stalker Angel_ book back, when I saw something that made my good mood come to an abrupt halt.

My mom and Nick were lying down on the couch, her on top of him. Their lips were locked as he held her around the waist and she kept his face in her hands. I could hear their moans from where I was standing and it made me both sick and hurt. Why did she have to this _now,_ while I was at home?

They noisily separated their lips and I heard them giggling while gasping for air. If it were up to me, from the scene I'm watching, I would've thought we were on the moon, where there was no such thing as air to breathe.

"Want to take this somewhere else?" I heard him ask her, neither of them noticing me.

"Clare's right upstairs," she reminded him.

_Like you care_, I scoffed in my head. I wanted to say it, but my voice refused to work.

"My son's not home," he reminded her. "We can finish this off there."

"That sounds…perfect," my mother whispered seductively, leaning down to press her lips to his again, and I cleared my throat, only startling my mother. Nick just groaned, while saying, "Oh Clare, you're up, good. Fitz said he'll be at the park, waiting for you. He wants you to meet some of his friends; Helen and I thought you two should spend more time together."

"Okay," I said, then headed for the door, not bothering in turning back.

Since Fitz wanted me to be at the park for him, I could just use that as an excuse to see the masked boy once again and get my book back. Either way, I needed to get out of that house, whether it was by lying or going to the park to walk around by myself. I sure as hell wasn't going to spend time with Fitz.

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I approached the gate of the Goldsworthy manor. My heart was racing and I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks as I fixed my top and pulled up my jeans. I tried to find a mirror anywhere, to check if I looked presentable. I smiled, seeing a nearby hearse directly parked in front of the house.

"Great, of course, the day I want to look halfway decent, I can't," I mumbled, while looking into my reflection, flipping my curls to one side, and then the other, trying to get it perfect.

"You know, you look beautiful; you don't need to check," I jumped at the voice, slightly startled, considering he wasn't standing their seconds before. Looks didn't seem so important anymore as I glanced over to my left shoulder, seeing the masked boy, clutching my _Stalker Angel_ book in his hand.

"S-Sorry, I didn't mean to like…disturb your car."

The boy's eyes softened beneath the mask and I could tell he was smiling at me as he said, "It's a car…not a person. Although, I think Morty does like you."

"Morty?" I asked, my legs going numb, the blood draining from my face due to excessive nerves.

"It's his name, the car."

"O-Oh right, I knew that. I'm sorry, I'm so…disrespectful, using your car like that and I never even got the chance to introduce myself yesterday. About that, with the soccer ball-."

He held up his hand, signaling for me to stop while I was ahead, "It's fine, your boyfriend got the ball out, no harm done."

"Y-You think he's…?" I chuckled, snorting embarrassingly, as my eyes widened. "Oh my gosh, I don't know what's wrong with me today. I'm sorry…I'm just, extremely nervous right now, and I have no idea why. I'm just here to get my book back."

"Right," he clutched my book in his right hand, before he held it out to me, "I-I have your book, right here. This book just came flying over your balcony. Lucky for you…I caught it before it touched that mud hole in your backyard."

"Yes, yeah thank you for um, you know, catching it," I whispered nervously, butterflies exploding in my stomach as I glanced at my book, and then his eyes, which were staring intently into my soul. The hot weather, on top of his staring, was not helping me out at all. He was making me feel hot and bothered. Not in a sexual way, but in an 'it's frickin' blazing out and he's not making it any easier' way.

"Anytime," he mumbled and I slowly reached out for my _Stalker Angel_ book. When my hands got a good grip on the edges, I realized that the corners weren't bent like Fitz had previously made them. I smiled faintly, before whispering, "Y-You evened out the edges, thank you."

His eyes softened, and his grip tightened, "I don't know what you're talking about; here, here's your book. Now, get off my property."

He practically threw my book at me, and I stumbled back, my hopes going from sky-high to ground low. Tears were forming in my eyes and I didn't even know why. It's not like I knew him or we were dating. But I felt like he wanted to get to know me, or at least my name.

"My name is Clare by the way," I shouted out, as he stopped in his tracks on his patio, then I mumbled, "It's not like you would care anyways."

I inhaled sharply, gripping onto my book for dear life, letting my tears slip through my eyelids as they stuck to the pages of the book. My chest heaved as I watched the masked boy turn his head slightly over his shoulder, before muttering, "Get off my property, or I'll call the cops."

* * *

**FITZ'S POV**

"So, your dad is banging her mom while she's begging you to bang her? That's some fucked up shit bro," my friend, Owen, said while inhaling his blunt before handing it to me. I shook my head, saying, "I have to stay clean; Clare wouldn't want me doing that stuff then coming home to her like that. I swear though, she had me backed up against her bedroom wall last night. Our parents just had to cock block us."

"Pros and cons to living with your future stepsister and stepmom," Owen joked, before taking another drag and then continued, "But, they've only been together for two days, anything can happen. Your dad is kind of a 'do then go' kind of guy, if I do recall?"

"Yeah, he is. But, something about Clare's mom makes him tick, or at least that's what bullshit he told me last night." I swung upside down on the monkey bars, before lifting myself up, "Isn't there supposed to be kids here, or something?"

"Dude, it's nearly a hundred degrees out, what kid would want to be outside in this weather?" Owen asked. "I mean, think of it this way…if you guys move in, you'll be able to bunk with this girl, get a couple of nights out of her, then when she's all well and dry, you move onto the next girl."

"Isn't that what I always do?" I asked, chuckling. "Man, she's just so…oh, if you saw her you'd be on your knees for her in an instant. But, yesterday I played the whole 'shirtless Fitz' on her. Her eyes wouldn't stop staring; it was like she was in a trance."

"Yeah, a sex-crazed, horny trance," he mumbled, inhaling deeply once again, clenching his eyes shut. "Listen, you've got to be careful with this girl though. If you sleep with her, you gotta make sure that your parents aren't around. Why don't you…give your dad and her mom the idea of going out for date night tonight? This way, you get a chance with the girl, your dad gets a chance with her mom, and it's a win-win for both of you."

"You know…I always used to question our friendship, but now I know why we're best friends."

* * *

**ELI'S POV**

"Get off my property or I'll call the police?" I growled, ripping up the papers and throwing my desk chair over my head, my chest heaving with rage. I was panting heavily before I grabbed my papers covered with writing, destroying my recent work with my bare hands.

"You're beautiful, you don't need to check?" I seethed through gritted teeth, my jaw clenched tightly as I continued to let my fury out. "Clare…her name is Clare. That's the most innocent fucking name in the book!" Anger getting the best of me again, I hit anything in my pathway, listening to the crash of glass against the floor.

"It's not like you would care anyways," I mumbled, impersonating her voice, before taking the only mirror in my house and slamming it down on the floor, while screaming, "I CARE! OKAY? I FUCKING CARE!"

I raked my violently shaking fingers through my hair, as my knees hit the ground, and I watched the remains of my **_finished_ **work for the new volume lie on the ground in shreds, nothing but litter that would take centuries to piece back together.

**_ I was right…doing that was a mistake…_**

"I care," I whimpered, staring at my unmasked face through the cracked glass on the floor, as my unshed tears started to blur my vision, stinging my eyes, "I…fucking…care."

* * *

**CLARE'S POV**

"Clare, honey, Nick and I are going out…Fitz is going to stay to watch you," my mother told me as she came in, happiness written all over her face as I turned onto my side, facing my bedroom wall.

"You know, I'm the same age as him," I stated, not wanting to be treated like I was going to be babysat.

"I know sweetheart, but you two can look after each other. Are you sure you're okay about this?" Tears streamed down my face, as I hugged my knees close to my chest, as I forced out through quivering lips, "Go out, Mom…have fun; don't be home too late."

"I love you, Clare, and don't worry so much, Nick and I will be back by midnight."

And with that, I heard my bedroom door close. I sighed in relief, letting my tears flow freely down my cheeks.

I clenched my _Stalker Angel_ book close to my chest, my mind only thinking of one person, that one person whom given me hope so quickly and did the one thing I feared the most: **_took it away._**

It all happened so fast, too. One second we were fine; the next he was telling me to leave. Although I did not know him, my heart broke as he told me so cruelly to go away.

"He doesn't care."

**END OF CHAPTER 3**

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Love you guys,

Cliffhanger Girl and TurboWiz70

3


	4. The Way She Feels

**Author's Note From TurboWiz70 :** Thank you again for your reviews! Cliffy and I (you know, me and Cliffy, Cliffy and me, _together_) are really happy with the support we (her and me) have gotten so far :) You guys rock! Here's the next chapter *inserts maniacal laugh*. Read, review, enjoy!

**Author's Note From Cliffhanger Girl: **Your support and constant reviews on each chapter keeps this story going, so please keep em' coming. Now if just about where the actual story starts to unfold. Be prepared for the actual boy behind the mask ;)

* * *

**_Trespasser_**

**_Chapter 4: The Way She Feels_**

**ELI'S POV**

Still furious at myself for what happened that evening, I went against my better judgment and went for a walk in the night. Darkness covered me as I traveled on the sidewalk; I passed a few houses until I noticed Clare's. I could see ever so clearly through the front windows and into her living room.

_I bet I sounded like a stalker just then._

I don't care though. I took advantage of having her in my sight, knowing that she probably would not want to see me again and I knew I could not dare go to her. I gazed through the window and saw her sitting on the couch with that jerk while they watched a movie.

Almost instantaneously, I felt a bubble of hate and disgust burst in my stomach. She told me that this guy wasn't her boyfriend, which relieved me to no end, but I still could not help but feel a strong hatred towards him.

I averted my eyes from him and put them on Clare. I could see her reddened eyes as she sat curled up on one side of the couch, clutching a pillow tightly, while this guy sat on the other side. She had been crying, but why? Was it because she had to sit next to this guy? Or was it because of me being a jerk towards her earlier today? Or was it a combination of both? It doesn't matter what reason; I felt sympathy for her. No one so gentle and timid should be sheltered in a living room crying with someone like **_that._**

I wanted to be sure that she was okay; I wanted to be sure her tears would subside and that she would end up enjoying the rest of her night – which, thanks to me, started off on a bad note. Being as stealthy as I could, I crouched down and used the cover of night to hide me as I crawled towards her window. Thankfully, the couch wasn't facing the window, so they did not see me as I gazed inside...

* * *

**CLARE'S POV**

I do not want to be down here watching a stupid movie with Fitz. The only reason I was in the room was because I was worried that he would make another attempt to damage my _Stalker Angel _books and I knew that the masked boy would not always be there to save them...like he would even care to anyways. Even if he did, he'd probably just give it to me again and push me away like I was nothing, as he did hours before.

The very idea brought tears to my eyes. Not wanting Fitz to get suspicious or start asking questions, I quickly rubbed my eyes. Unfortunately, he noticed my feeble attempt to hide my tears.

"Are you okay?" he asked bluntly.

* * *

**FITZ'S POV**

Sweet, she was crying. When there's crying, that means I had to comfort her, and nothing turns a girl on more than knowing she has a big, strong, lenient shoulder to cry on.

"I'm fine," she said, her eyes becoming puffy from the tears that were continuing to flow down her pale cheeks.

"Then why are you crying?" I asked, scooting a bit closer to her.

"I'm not," she lied, rubbing her eyes even more.

"Clare, Clare, Clare," I sighed, "You're not a good liar."

"I-I'm –."

"Come on, Clare," I said, sliding so close to her that our legs were almost touching, "What's on that pretty little mind of yours?"

"Nothing," she said. She stood up, probably planning on escaping to her room; but my opportunity was right in front of me and it would **_not_** slip away so easily on my watch. I quickly grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into my lap.

* * *

**CLARE'S POV**

I wanted to get away from Fitz before he pressed the issue any further, but this time, I was being held against him.

"Fitz, let me go," I demanded, struggling to get free from his strong, tight grip.

"Just tell me what's wrong," he said, his tone husky and deep.

"It's none of your business," I growled, trying to unclasp his arms so I could break away.

Suddenly, I felt myself being thrown onto the couch, my back against the cushions. Next thing I know, he was gripping my wrists in a death grip above my head, and he was on top of me.

"What are you doing? Are you insane? Get off of me!" I hollered.

I became terrified as I felt two things: his lips on my neck and a boner on my thigh.

"Stop! Stop! STOP!" I screamed at him.

"What? Do you want me to put a mask on? Will you fuck me then? Huh?" he sneered, chuckling darkly while continuing to kiss down the revealed skin from my V-neck shirt. My heart was sinking into my stomach, a wave of nausea overpowering my fear as I continued to feel his chapped, rough lips against me and his hands go to my thighs.

"Stop it, please," I choked out through a strangled sob, tears getting caught between my lips and dripping down my neck. I whimpered, feeling his rough, ice cold hands rubbing up and down the sides of my thighs, his fingernails inching closer to my lower region with each forced action.

"Please Fitz, I'll do anything. J-Just stop," he only laughed at my plea, pressing his lips against my earlobe, "That's right Clare, you will do anything, and anything, is exactly this. Now shut up and enjoy yourself. Maybe for once you'll crack a goddamn smile."

All hope was being lost as I felt his hands roaming up to the sides of my chest, his ears pressing against every inch of my skin he could get his lips on. I sobbed, feeling my throat getting drier and rougher with each touch from Fitz.

I then heard the front door slam open and loud, pounding footsteps move towards the couch.

"Get off her!" I heard a familiar voice shout at Fitz before grabbing him by the back of his shirt and pulling him off of me.

I felt him being peeled away from me and I saw his body being thrown on the ground. Relieved, but still terrified, I turned my head and saw the masked boy standing there; I was breathing heavily as I noticed him looking at me. He quickly broke his gaze with me and turned back to Fitz, who was struggling to his feet.

"What are you doing here, freak?" he spat, venom dripping from his tone.

He did not answer; instead, he stood in front of the couch, therefore blocking Fitz's path to me. I was shaking; Fitz pinned me down against my will, touched me without permission, and now he and the masked boy were here. It was becoming really intense for me,_ too_ intense.

I zone out for a minute in all the confusion and, the next thing I know, the two of them were throwing punches at each other. Gasping in horror, I stand up and try to break up the fight.

"Stop it! Both of you! STOP IT!"

Suddenly, Fitz pushed me away from them and I stumbled on my own two feet. I then fell over a footrest, hit my head, and then, knew no more…

* * *

**_Fifteen minutes later…_**

* * *

I felt my back against something soft as something cold rested on my forehead. I opened my eyes and saw that I was in my room. Wondering how I got here, I sat up and felt a damp washcloth fall off my forehead and onto my lap.

I sat up slowly, and began remembering what happened. Fitz was making a move on me, the masked boy showed up at my house, the two of them got into a fight, and then my disoriented self became knocked out in the process.

**_It was so strange. _**

Hours ago he didn't want anything to do with me, but now he was saving me? I just did not understand it. It was plain and simple, he was far too confusing a person for me to figure out, and the mixed signals were only making this _situation_ worse.

I turned to my bedside table and saw a piece of paper with writing on it. Having an idea who wrote it, I picked the message up and began reading.

_Sorry for breaking in. I couldn't just sit back and let him do that to you. He went too far that time, crossing a boundary that no man should cross with a delicate, fragile, innocent young woman. I hope you feel better. _

_Sincerely,_

_Masked Boy_

A mix of appreciation and anger filled me. I was grateful that he stopped Fitz before things went further and that he brought me to my room, but how could he do this to me? He was clearly like everyone else and did not care; he proved that to me hours ago. Why would he do this to me? He was leading me on and I could not take it much longer.

I wanted to cry again, but a knock at the door distracted me. I put the note down, and went to the door, holding the side of my head up with my right hand. I opened it without thinking, and when I saw who it was, I gasped.

**_Him._**

**END OF CHAPTER 4**

* * *

**Reviews? :) If we reach 100 reviews...we'll update earlier than next Saturday ;) **

**Who do you think is at Clare's bedroom door? **

**Hint: Do not assume it is who you think it is. **

Love you guys,

Cliffhanger Girl and TurboWiz70

3


	5. You Again

**Author's Note From TurboWiz70:** Alright, since you guys are so awesome (over 100 reviews in four chapters! INCREDIBLE!) Cliffy and I have decided to update again today! Thank you for all the support you've given us! You're all amazing! Read, review, enjoy!

**Author's Note From The Cliffhanger Girl:** As promised, if you got us up to the 100 mark and above (like you did-cause your awesome) you guys get a double update! The next chapter will be on Saturday night... ;) Please continue to review/alert/subscribe!

**Twitter:** TheCliffyG and TurboWiz70

**Will be updated every:** Saturday

* * *

**_Trespasser_**

**_Chapter 5: You Again_**

**CLARE**

"W-What are you doing here?" I whispered angrily, applying pressure to the now obvious bump on the side of my head.

"I came here to see you…the guy downstairs let me in. I just, I want to talk."

"About what, KC? I'm a little busy trying to get over the fact that I might have a concussion," I sighed impatiently, as he smirked shyly, before saying, "I just wanted to ask you for a chance to be civil to each other. I'm better now; Jenna has helped me a lot. She's helped me get through so many problems that I was facing when I was with you, and I just want to know if you're up for a good ole' KC, Clare friendship?"

I scoffed, "Thanks, but no thanks. The door is downstairs."

When I was about to close my door, he stepped his foot inside my room, and I sighed, "KC, I was just able to get over you and think about someone else other than you; so, if you can, just please leave me alone. You cheated on me for a reason, so go enjoy that reason. I hope you and Jenna are good together."

"Clare, come on-."

The second his foot stepped out of my room, I shut the door quickly and slammed my back against it to prevent him from trying to come inside. I bit back my bottom lip, my head pounding in pain as I heard him say, "Alright Clare, you can be that way. I just want you to know that all I'm looking for is a friendship, not a relationship. But I get if it hurts too much. I just want you to know if you ever need someone who doesn't have a boner poking through his jeans like the guy downstairs, I'm available. I hope we'll have some classes together or…something like that. I hope your head feels better. See you at school, Clare."

His heavy footsteps reminded me of _his_, and when I heard a door close, I sighed in relief. Tears pricked my eyes, as I stared at my bedroom wall, wishing that I could just fade into one of the characters of _Stalker_ _Angel_.

Fitz is downstairs, still horny, which means that I can't leave my room for a good hour. My stomach was growling, my head was pounding, and just the thought of school in two days is making bile creep up my throat…

* * *

**ELI POV**

_To Mr. and Mrs. Goldsworthy,_

_We regret to inform you that your son, Elijah Goldsworthy's lack of attendance in school is severely lowering. If you must know, the consequences are in his future. But, if you get him to start Degrassi High School in two days, Monday, September 5__th__, then we will push no charges to court. Everything has been set up and his schedule is attached to this letter. We cannot wait to see his bright and shining face at Degrassi. _

_Enjoy the remainder of your summer! _

_Sincerely, _

_Principle Archie Simpson _

"School? Seriously? Is this what this world has come down to?" I scoffed, rereading the letter and trying to find an outlet. I haven't been to school since…well, since a long time ago. But now, they want me to attend this high school. I Google mapped it already and saw it was only blocks away, meaning I could walk and not exhaust Morty's engine. Or, I could go ride there in my baby and scare the shit out of everybody while wearing my mask.

_**Decisions…Decisions. **_

I sighed heavily, rubbing my temples while turning off the blaring lamp light in front of me on my desk. Whenever I closed my eyes, or tried to clear my head, Clare would always pop up. I knew it was unintentional, but the way that she feels as if I don't care, it's driving me insane. But now that this school thing has come along, maybe I can go to this school and it'll distract me for a good six hours a day.

The memory of Clare shaking on her couch flashed before my eyes and my heart raced dangerously, reliving how he stroked his hands over her thighs, making her suffer.

I clenched my eyes tightly shut, and inhaled sharply.

_Breathe Eli, breathe. _

"Well Degrassi…get ready to meet your new freak."

* * *

**2 DAYS LATER-MONDAY MORNING**

* * *

**CLARE**

"Now, Fitz, you stay by Clare's side at all times. I made sure you two have all the same classes together. Except, we couldn't seem to get Fitz into Advanced English with Clare because Fitz needs to get his grades up," my mother quipped at I sighed, fixing my shirt in the mirror before Fitz shoved me out of the way, only to smirk at his reflection.

"Do you mind? I was kind of using the mirror," I spat.

Fitz hasn't even talked about what happened two nights ago; he seems unfazed at the fact that he was almost going to rape me. He just kept that cocky, smug smile on his face while walking around my house drinking milk from the carton with absolutely no shirt on. My mother and Nick spent the last two days at his house, so Fitz and I were left alone most of the time.

This brings me back to the fact that I locked myself in my room for the two remaining days of summer.

"Clare, stop trying to pick a fight with Fitz, please," my mother begged, blind to the knowledge that she was letting a possible rapist hang around her daughter like he was a goddamn saint.

"You know what? I'm not even going to try anymore with you _people_. Mom, have a great freaking day with Nick, and Fitz, good luck on your own because, in Degrassi, we have no idea who we are. You're a complete stranger to me and if you talk to me, I'll scream. I don't care," I spoke quickly and truthfully, grabbing my bag and hitching it over my shoulder, forcing a cheesy, fake smile. "Have a good day everybody."

A moment of relief washed over me as the warm wind hit my face when I opened the front door.

"Thank God," I mumbled, placing my earplugs in my ears, while starting my journey to Degrassi.

From now on, I'm Clare Edwards, the _**loner,**_ and I don't give one goddamn fuck about the label because I love it. I love being alone in my dark room, while reading _Stalker_ _Angel_ volumes and letting my mind wander to its abilities.

I swallowed the lump in my throat when I passed by the masked boy's house. I wonder if _he_ goes to school; he's probably cool too, rocking the mask and all. I sighed, shaking my head of the thoughts and tried my best to forget about him, about my drama with Fitz, and about my fucked up life.

* * *

**ELI POV**

"Alright, I've got people staring at me on my right, and people staring on the left. Perfect, my job here is done," I smirked, while clutching my mask, making sure it was on securely for the big day ahead of me. I was ready to face this school and get into the world of the teenage youth.

The first thing they noticed about me was Morty; as I predicted, people were gawking in surprise. I imagine that they had no idea that someone could actually buy a hearse, let alone drive one to a public school. I parked him in one of the free parking spaces before climbing out; this was when it would get interesting…

I chuckled darkly, not being able to hold back because of the words already being said about me from the curious onlookers.

"_Oh my God, does that boy own a mirror?" _

"_Who is that? What the fuck is on his face?" _

"_He's probably planning to kill all of us; that's why he's in disguise,"_ that particular comment made my neck snap in the squeaky voice's direction. I smiled beneath my mask, seeing a dark-skinned cheerleader, her pompoms rested on her legs.

She stared at me, before asking, "What are you looking at? Oh no, I think my phones ringing. Would you look at that? It's the Phantom…he wants his mask back."

I chuckled with her, which caught her slightly off guard, so I asked, "What? Just because I don't look like I have a dick up my ass and a mouth that deserves to be washed out with poison makes me weird? Sorry, dick isn't my style."

Her mouth was agape as I smirked, before whispering, "Don't keep your mouth open _sweetheart_; you know what they say, flies might get in there."

She quickly closed her mouth, and I sighed, _**oh teenagers. **_

"Freak!" she called out and I turned to her, jolting towards her, which caused the girl to let out a loud, high pitched scream. I could only imagine if I touched her; she'd probably go into cardiac arrest.

Before I left the parking lot, I took a good look at her, taking in her name embroided on her uniform. "That's my name…Marisol. Please, don't wear it out."

* * *

**CLARE**

I glared down at my shaking, interlocked hands.

Of course, my first period class had to be Advanced English. This was a good thing because I wouldn't have to see Fitz, but the bad thing was that it was going to be one of my hardest classes this year. I heard the amount of work is tremendous and overbearing, considering Ms. Kwan is the teacher.

The people started piling in, one by one, two by two.

"Okay class! Welcome back. How was everyone's summers?"

My eyebrows tightened at the voice of a foreign tone, so I took this at a chance to look up for the first time, and see Ms. Dawes, my art teacher from last year, standing before the class.

Everyone groaned in response as she placed a large, hefty box down on her desk.

"Now that we're all happy to begin, I would like to start off this class right away. As you know, I am not Ms. Kwan, but over the summer she was transferred to a different school for reasons you teens would not understand nor care about. So, now that that's covered, we have loads of material to get through this year and I don't want you little advancers here to miss out on any of this information. First off, we will begin reading the _Phantom of the Opera_. I know you're all upset we aren't starting off with Shakespeare. But let me tell you, this book, along with the play which we'll be watching when we're doing the reading, is quite amazing. You'll be surprised on how intriguing it is. The syllabus is already posted online and I want you all to go home tonight to read it over, embrace it, and then let it sink in. Once you're done freaking out about it, you can work on your first assignment."

"Excuse me," a girl in the front raised her hand, while straightening out her back. "I've already taken a look at the syllabus last night because I was so excited about this class. I was wondering, will you be pairing us up for our first assignment or can we choose?"

The girl glanced behind her, flashing a smile to whom I was assuming her friend as I slumped in my chair when Ms. Dawes said, "Oh heavens no, I'll be pairing you up. Assigning partners makes it more interesting to work with that person. Now, let's get to the pairing and then I'll explain what you have to do. Excuse me, Wesley, can you hand everyone a play book?"

"S-Sure," he stammered.

I smiled at his innocence as he ran up to the box and eagerly handed out a book to each person who was shooting him death glares.

Maybe this class wouldn't be as bad as I thought; at least I have myself and books by outstanding, mind-twisted authors.

"Thank you, Wesley." I was the only one who thanked him and he smiled, blushing slightly, "You're welcome, Clare, I hope you enjoy this play as much as I enjoyed it."

"I trust you, Wes; if you enjoyed it, then I'm sure I'll love it," I whispered, gripping the book in my hands as the door opened, causing everyone's heads to snap up within an instant. I sighed, not bothering to tire myself out by looking up. My fingers brushed through the pages, and I smiled, realizing it was the same exact book I read at the beginning of the summer to pass time. So this first semester should be a piece of cake, considering I've already read the book.

I heard someone in the back gasp loudly, which grabbed my attention.

But instead of looking to the back where all the peoples' attention was drawn, I stared at Ms. Dawes, listening to her read off the partners, "Katie Matlin and Jake Martin…Adam Torres and Bianca Desousa…Imogen Moreno and Fiona Coyne…Jenna Middleton and KC Guthrie…"

_Of course KC and Jenna transferred into Advanced English…of fucking course. _

Ms. Dawes looked up for the first time to take a breath, and she grinned at the back of the room, before saying, "Ah, Mr. Goldsworthy. It's so nice of you to make it. Instead of sitting all the way in the back by yourself, please, go sit next to Clare. Clare, Mr. Goldsworthy will be your partner for this semester. Clare, honey, raise your hand."

My body went numb, my arms un-raised, as I let my mouth drop, our eyes unconsciously locking in an intense glare…

_It was the masked boy._

**END OF CHAPTER 5**

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**Reviews would be very much appreciated/a lovely gesture :) **

Love you guys,

Cliffhanger Girl and TurboWiz70

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	6. Who To Turn To?

**Author's Note From TurboWiz70 –** You guys rock! Seriously, all this feedback for the first 5 chapters is incredible! Thank you to everyone who has supported me and Cliffy (or just Cliffy, since she is the mastermind behind this)! I hope you guys enjoy Chapter 6! Read, review, enjoy!

**Author's Note From The Cliffhanger Girl-**The reviews and subscriptions on this story is just amazing! Keep up the Eclare hope Eclare shippers! We know your hearts are hurting, but you need to keep up the hope! I know how broken ya'll feel, but have no fear, for Eclare will be here. Whether it be a friendship or relationship, we all just must wait. Please keep your reviews up to par, we love them! :D

**Twitter:** TheCliffyG and TurboWiz70

**Will be updated every:** Saturday

**Warning:** **VERY OOC**...for all characters.

* * *

**_Trespasser_**

**_Chapter 6: Who To Turn To? _**

**ELI'S POV**

Of _all _the schools, _all _the rooms, and _all _the people in this place, I had to end up working with Clare.

"Everyone, please welcome Eli Goldsworthy, a new student this year. Please, Mr. Goldsworthy, have a seat," the teacher, Ms. Dawes, ordered politely as I smirked behind my mask and took a seat beside Clare. I sighed heavily, flipping through the book that was placed on my desk before I turned to glance at Clare, who had her head down and her face seemed drained of color.

_It's as if she didn't want to be my partner._

The whispers around me continued; the stares and points make my veins boil with anger. It's like these people haven't seen a horror or a freak show before. I took a deep breath before Ms. Dawes said, "Alright class, for your first assignment with your partner, I want you both to read the first twenty pages and then analyze the characters. You need to learn to put yourselves in their place; without the ability to do that, you will not enjoy reading this book. Alright? Everyone get started and, Mr. Goldsworthy, before you start with Clare, may I have a word with you?"

I nodded, feeling holes burning through my clothes from all the stares I was getting…they probably just think I'm extremely sexy; it's understandable.

"Eli, I'm really happy to have you here," Ms. Dawes cheered, as I nodded in response, "I'm really glad you decided to come; your parents must've had to kick you out the door, huh?"

My chest tightened and blood froze as Ms. Dawes seemed unfazed by my tense appearance.

"I know it's hard on your first day Eli, but I just want you to know that…that masks aren't allowed to be worn inside the school building, neither are hats or any additional accessory. We're already on the edge with wearing regular clothes, so please, if you will, take the mask off."

I scoffed, "Listen lady, you've got me here by force and, not to sound disrespectful, but I can't obey that wish of yours. The mask has to stay on at all times."

"Eli, if the principal catches you, he'll give you detention; do you want that?" she asked, her eyes glistening with innocence through her glasses.

"Ms. Dawes, he can give me all the detention he wants…I've got time to waste anyways."

Being in detention, staying after school late, that would give me enough time to distract myself from Clare since it might be unbearably hard to ignore her now that we're partners. My throat tightened as the class became silent when Ms. Dawes asked, "If you don't mind me asking, why do you wear it?"

"Wouldn't everybody love to know," I mumbled, before slamming my ass down into my chair, and glaring at Clare while flipping angrily through the pages of the book.

"Hi."

My mood swing came to a shocking halt when I heard her soft, angelic voice fill the air. With all the whispers and rumors probably already spreading across the school about me, she has the nerve to try to be civil to me, like nothing is wrong.

"Hi?" I questionably asked, wondering why out of all the things she could say, she only said that one, tiny word.

"Yeah…hi," she whispered, glancing back down at her book to avoid eye contact.

_Good…she's** scared. **_

"Well…hi to you too," I spoke in a calmer voice, relaxing in my chair a bit while my eyes scanned the words on this book. To be honest, I've already read this play a thousand times and I know all the words by heart. So, to break the ice with my new partner, I decided to get a conversation flowing.

"So…um, hate to be a downer on our sunny parade, but I've already read this book."

She seemed uninterested in what I had to say, until she whispered, "Me too."

"Why don't we get started on the assignment then?" I asked, feeling awkward because she was only responding with two words, which was making the conversation hard for me to carry out. But maybe she's just tired from waking up early, or just sad that her summer is over and she has to spend her first period class with someone she hates.

**_Me. _**

"Do you think Christine loved the Phantom more than Raoul?" Clare asked, out of the blue might I add-and completely off topic to the first twenty pages we were assigned to read.

"Of course she did. But the Phantom knew if he really loved Christine, he'd have the power to let her go…He didn't want Christine to be effected by his hideous, scarred face. It wasn't an option the Phantom wanted Christine to have." I glanced down at my interlocked hands resting in my lap.

"The Phantom was messed up, physically and mentally. I just think that loving Christine was enough for him to let her go marry Raoul. Emotionally, he was hanging on by threads, but he knew it was always what's best for her. I understand the Phantom in a sense, Clare. Don't you?"

"He's mysterious, troubled, and hides secrets behind his mask. I don't like the way that Christine tried so hard to understand him, to get him to break just a little…but he wouldn't give in, not even for her. Love wasn't enough," she whispered, her voice cracking towards the end of her statement.

I sighed, knowing this conversation was no longer about Christine and the Phantom, but Clare and I. I swallowed the growing lump in my throat, and asked, changing the topic, "How are you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know…the whole thing that happened two days ago with your _boyfriend_, how he was trying to rape you and I saved your life," I spat, as if she didn't even remember how I came to her rescue.

My eyes widened slightly, seeing her fragile body tense drastically, tears forming in the rims of her eyes. At that moment I felt like complete shit, knowing I upset her. Tears streamed down her face, a small whimper escaping her lips before she gathered her stuff, mumbling a "he's not my boyfriend" and running out the door when the bell rang.

As I saw her run away, I had half a mind to go after her, but my body did not agree. I went slowly in retrieving my belongings, feeling like the ass I was.

"Great…good one, Eli, good one," I scolded myself.

* * *

**CLARE**

I bit into my apple, staring out into the distance while I sat on the front steps of the school, my "sad songs" playlist blasting music into my ears.

After a good hour of crying in the bathroom, reminiscing the whole Fitz situation along with my mother constantly ignoring me, and the fact that I haven't heard from my dad in three months made me sob harder than I imagined.

It's just so emotionally frustrating that I can't find one person in this world to be friends with; who I know won't hurt me. This morning, when I found out the masked boy's surname, I thought that it would be a start to a good, healthy friendship between us. But no, I was far from right.

He was even more intense, even more closed, but that still doesn't stop the fact that he was there all those times I needed somebody. He was there when I needed my book to be caught and he was there when I needed someone to shove Fitz's large, muscular body off me. There's a reason he did those things...and I just know it.

"Good afternoon, lovely. How is my beautiful Clare doing today?"

My eyes clashed with Fitz's clouded, glistening blue eyes, as I ripped out my earplugs, before saying, "I don't know you, remember? Leave me alone."

"Oh, come on, Clare. I just want someone to sit with you…don't be such a stuck up, snobby bitch," he spat, and I laughed, "That wasn't the first time I heard that in my life."

"Well, maybe you should change so you can avoid being called what you are," he hissed through clenched teeth before taking an obnoxiously large bite out of his sandwich.

"You know, I don't need this shit from you or anyone. After what you did two nights ago, I don't even know how you live on without a guilty fucking conscious."

"It's easy; I'm not guilty because I know your little pity fight was just a turn on for you. It's cool; I'm into the whole bad/abusive boyfriend and hot/innocent girlfriend role-play. Trust me Clare, nothing turns me on more than that."

His voice was deep and husky as I slowly got up, grabbing my bag, "Just leave me alone Fitz."

"Playing hard to get, are we? It's fine, I'll just see you back at…_**home.**"_

Before I could stop myself, I slapped Fitz across the face with the back of my hand. I couldn't hold in the anger anymore; it was eating away at me to the core. My heart raced, adrenaline pumping, "Don't ever call my house your home. Your home is across the street in your shit hole of a house."

"I'll forgive you for the slap…only because I know, in due time, your home will be my home."

* * *

**ELI**

"Alright everybody, welcome to detention; one hour is now on the clock," the teacher said before walking out of the room.

Small talk was created by some of the people in the back, but I just shook it off, trying to scribble down some new ideas for _Stalker Angel_. I closed my eyes, but failed miserably to come up with anything when Clare had popped into my mind again.

OH FUCK.

How could I not see this before?

What if…what if I put Clare into my new volume? It could be about the 'blue-eyed mystery girl', her name would be Clara. I bit back my bottom lip, while jotting down millions of ideas and letting my mind run rampant. They just kept coming, one after another, after another, after another, until…

"Hey freak, what are you writing? Porn?" I glanced up at the group of delinquent teenagers, Fitz being one of them.

I put my pen down and faced them before I replied to Fitz individually, "You know…that actually sounds like a good idea; I can pair you up with one of my guy characters. Oh, would you look at that, you two are alike…he's a male rapist too! Oh yeah, I think he would love you. He's a sucker for baby blue eyes and small cock."

Fitz's eyes widened and what I got next was exactly what I expected...

**_A clock to the face. _**

A good thing about wearing a mask is that the impact of his fist was slightly defected. It hurt, considering the force he used, but I was unscathed for the most part. But that did _not_ mean I was going to let him get away with it.

I stood up, lifting my chin up slightly, and faced Fitz.

"You really want to continue this?" I said, crossing my arms.

"Do you want to tango, freak?" he dared, circling me like how a wolf circles his prey before attacking. I kept my eyes on him, he kept his eyes on me, and the rest of the room watched. "There's no Clare around to stop us this time; you don't need to play hero for the injured girl."

"Leave her out of this, Fitzy," I warned, undoing my arms and clenching my fists.

"Why? Do you like her? Do you have feelings for her?"

I kept silent, unable to answer those questions even if I wanted to.

"Because I got some news for you, Clare and I have something between us. What could you two possibly have? You're a freak and she's the innocent virgin; those don't match."

"She told me you guys weren't together," I state.

"Yet," he corrected my "mistake", "It won't be long until Clare sees that I'm the guy for her."

I could not help but laugh at his fantasy. Was he really that stupid to think that Clare would fall in love with the guy who tried to rape her? From what I know, a lady likes to be treated with respect, and love, not being assaulted...but maybe that's just me.

"Besides," he continued, "I think she deserves someone like me...someone who can make her feel like a woman."

"And **_I _**think she deserves someone better than some animal who wants nothing more than to screw her."

That did it for him; the next thing I know, he was pushing me roughly into a nearby desk. I scrambled to my feet before he hit me in the gut, causing me to fall onto the floor into the fetal position.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said sarcastically.

I got back on my feet and pushed him against a wall.

"Oops," I said, smirking as I watched him rub the bump forming on the back of his head, "Did I do that? My bad."

I could see how pissed he was getting, so I braced myself. He threw a punch at me and I ducked down, but once I was up again, he made up for his miss by tackling me to the ground.

"You know, it's not like Clare would choose you anyway," he growled, as I struggled to dodge his fists, "Why would she choose a member of a circus?"

His reminder of how Clare and I could not be together broke me, so I did not object to hit him this time. My fists collided with his eye, which made him gasp in pain and gave me the advantage I needed. I tackled and punched him again. My victory was short lived, however. I was soon taking punches from him that hurt like hell.

I'm not sure how long we continued, but I was soon tired of fighting this loser. I had better things to do than take this from him. I knew the truth; he was living in a fantasy world with him and Clare and I knew I could never be with her. That was that. I accepted it and it was time he did too, but I did not want to be dragged down with him.

I escaped the fight, stood up, and glared at him.

"You're not worth it," I said.

"A real man doesn't walk away from a fight!" Fitz screamed.

"This one does," I said, picking up my papers and bag. I don't care if I still had another twenty minutes left of detention; I wasn't willing to breathe the same air as that piece of shit.

"Coward!" I heard him yell as I walked out of the door and down the hall, "This isn't over! Do you hear me? _This isn't over!_"

* * *

**10 MINUTES LATER**

* * *

I was free from that hellhole I call Degrassi Community School for at least another sixteen hours. I did not want to go back, but I did not have a choice. At least being away from my mansion gave me a reason to not look at Clare's house every second of the day. Unfortunately, she roamed those halls and was now my English partner, so I would have no choice but to grin and bear it.

I was still fascinated by her, but it would be better for her if I just admired from afar. I already got involved in all this Fitz drama and we were now sworn enemies because of her, but she was worth that much.

_Everything else, however, I could **not** risk._

Which is why I was greatly annoyed when I saw her sitting on the doorstep of my house when I parked Morty. Rolling my eyes behind my mask, I climbed out, grabbed my bag, and walked towards her. She stood up as I walked towards her; her eyes were angry and heated.

"How come I have a feeling you're not over here to ask how my detention was?" I said, wanting to get rid of her as quickly as possible.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her eyes suddenly lighter.

"Uh…yeah," I said, taken aback, "Why?"

"You're bleeding," she said, gesturing to my neck. I put my hand to the area she was indicating and I felt a small wound along with the warm, sticky blood.

"I guess I am," I said.

"How did it happen?" she asked, worry in her tone.

"I don't know," I lied. Fitz must've scratched me in detention, but I was not going to let her know that. "But it's nothing. Now that that's over, what are you doing here? You're not welcome here."

**_Harsh, I know-but it needed to be done. _**

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm fine," she said, the anger in her eyes returning as her voice gained bitterness. I was lost already. Did she really wait on my property to tell me that?

"Good to know," I said blankly.

"You asked me how I was in English. I'm fine, if that answers your question. And I don't need you reminding me about what happened, okay? I know what happened, I have to see him every day since our parents are dating and I have most of my classes with him, so I don't need **_you_** to tell me what I don't already know! Got it?" she snapped.

"Okay, I'm sorry," I said, meaning what I said but not having enough tone to back it up.

"I'm not really in the mood for fake apologies, Eli."

It was then that I realized that she was saying my name for the first time; it sounded beautiful coming from her sweet lips. I was happy that I was wearing a mask so she wouldn't have to see a smile as horrid as mine.

"I don't fake things, Clare," I said.

She disregarded what I said and continued, "And another thing, don't act like a friend one second and turn around and act like a jerk the next! In case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly having a great time at home, so the last thing I need is someone else who hurts me! I'm constantly feeling alone, and on top of that, I have people at school who now hate me for no reason because of Fitz telling them bullshit about me…so make up your damn mind! Friend or foe?" she demanded.

I took a breath…why did this have to happen? I knew I was hurting her and I was hurting myself in the process. This was not easy on me either, but I would rather be a ghost – a phantom, if you will – in her life, instead of not in her life at all. But now she was asking me to make the choice; I either had to stay as a friend or walk away from her forever except for when we had to work together in English. I had to pick the one that would be better for one in the long run, whether or not it was best for her right now.

My heavy heart starting to bleed; I walked passed her and towards the front door, I unlocked it before turning back to her, choking on the words I would say.

"See you at school."

I closed the door and locked it again before running to my room. Once I was sure I was alone, I pulled my mask off my face and threw it onto my bed, cursing myself for what I had done…and what I didn't do.

* * *

**CLARE'S POV**

Just my freaking luck.

I wanted Eli to understand what I was going through and reassure me that I would always have a friend in him…I was proven wrong and that killed me. Maybe I went about the wrong way of presenting that to him, but I could not let him get away with what he said in English.

I was really hoping to get home, go in my room, and not deal with the rest of the world until school tomorrow. But my lovely mother had other plans. I was now sitting at the dinner table at my house with my mother, Nick, and the bastard himself. To make matters worse, Fitz kept staring at me; I noticed that he kept looking at my chest. My boobs weren't exposed or anything, but he kept gazing at my upper torso and I soon found myself wishing that I wore something that didn't show as much skin…like a turtleneck and a space suit.

"So, how was your first day of school?" Mom asked both of us.

"Fine," I shrugged.

"How about you, Fitz?"

"It was…entertaining," he said with a grin.

"How so?" Nick asked, boredom in his tone, but only responding to keep a conversation going.

"It's a long story."

That's when everything clicked together, from Fitz's slightly bruised cheekbone to his pathetic cover up story, "Well, I got detention today because I was late to one of my classes, considering Clare wouldn't walk me to it. Then I got to detention and this freaky emo kid who wears a mask ganged up on me, yelling at me like a crazy person about how he's going to kidnap Clare and make her love him. He even tried to kiss me to seal the deal."

I stood up from the table, spitting back, "That's a lie! Eli would never do that! He's harmless…and straight!"

"Oh, come on, Clare, face it…he doesn't like you; he was going after me this whole time," Fitz chuckled darkly, as my mom whispered a "Clare honey, please sit down, it's dinnertime. After all, we all had a long day and are not up for these teenage, dramatic antics."

"I'm not being dramatic! He's being an idiot! He deserved what Eli did to him!" I hissed, as Nick took a bite into his chicken and then said, "Relax, Clare, I'm sure Fitz was just defending your honor. Don't take it to heart; if the kid wears a mask there's obviously something wrong with him."

"There's nothing wrong with him-there's something wrong with you people!" I growled, clenching my fists tightly together as Fitz chewed his food before looking up at me and sighing, "Come on Clare, just sit down and eat. I was just trying to make conversation; I wasn't trying to offend your little masked rapist."

Everyone at the table's eyes widened, except for Nick, who continued eating, "Rapist? Him? Eli?"

"Fitz, that's enough," my mother begged, as I shook my head, ready to burst.

**_And so I did. _**

My body, mentally, physically, and emotionally, was done trying to hide from this pain. From being extremely lonely all the time, to losing friends, to losing family members, I was sick of it. But now, Fitz had pressed the wrong button and I was ready to fucking explode without a care in the world.

I lunged at Fitz from across the table, only to feel a pair of lanky arms around my waist, pulling me back from him as I shouted, "How could you have the decency to accuse Eli when you're the one who tried to fucking rape me when our parents were out? How? HOW CAN YOU DO THAT?"

"Hey, I never did that, you crazy bitch! Stop making up shit in that pretty little fucked up head of yours!" Fitz shouted back at me, lunging towards me with a fist held high before Nick finally paid attention to the _family_ dinner and wrapped his arms around a raging Fitz.

"Eh, what's gotten into you two?" Nick shouted, as I spat, "Your son is a fucking rapist-that's what's gotten into us! He pinned me down on the couch and was kissing me! I was telling him to stop but he kept going! If Eli didn't come in when he did I would've been a rape victim!"

"Honey, calm down," my mom was speaking so softly,_ too_ softly.

That's when I noticed, she thought I was going crazy. Her tone of voice was ridiculously low and soft, which made me believe that she thinks I'm making this all up. I burst out into laughter while my mom gripped onto me for dear life.

"You think I'm crazy? That I'm making this up?" Tears burned my skin like acid as I screamed, pointing at Fitz, "HE TRIED TO RAPE ME AND ALL YOU PEOPLE THINK IS THAT I'M LOSING MY MIND? Eli fought for me because he knows what happened! He saw what happened that night!"

"Nothing happened that night, Dad, I swear," Fitz said, a promising smile on his face as I hissed, "Everything happened that night…I was crying and he forced himself on top of me, aren't you guys going to do anything about it?"

When I turned around to my mother, she was looking at Nick, who shook his head, "I'm sure he didn't mean much harm…I mean, men will be men."

"Men will be men?" I looked at my mom, wide eyed, as she just shrugged her shoulders.

"Are you on fucking crack?" I asked my mom through gritted teeth, "Your daughter is confessing to you that she almost got raped by your boyfriend's son and you're agreeing with him? Men will be men? Really?"

My mother sighed, placing a hand on my shoulder, "Honey, I know school is a lot of pressure for you now, and with the divorce, but you have to stay strong, hold it together. Stop telling lies; it's bad for the family and the new people in our lives. We all love you here, Clare; we just want to help."

I chuckled, tears rolling down my face, as I looked at Nick and Fitz, "Men will be men? Well newsflash, real men don't rape women. Real men try to get to know a girl, then ask her out on a date, bring her flowers, whisper sweet things in her ear to make her blush...not attempt to brutally harass them against their will."

At that moment, one of the parts from _Stalker Angel: Volume One_ came to mind as I continued, "Men don't pin women to furniture while rubbing against them, trying to grope them, and kissing the when they don't want it! I didn't want it!"

My mother showed no emotion, or sympathy, as I turned to her, "And you, you're not my mother anymore. I honestly don't know where my real mother has gone, but it'd be nice if I could get her back! You're nothing but a washed up, dirty whore! That's all you've ever been since the divorce!"

**_Slap. _**

"Clare Diane-," my cheek stung intensely, and I interrupted her, shouting, "DON'T YOU DARE CLARE DIANE EDWARDS ME! I was almost raped and you're standing here like I told you that I ate food off the kitchen floor! Why won't you listen to me? Why won't you pay attention to me? I'm screaming out for your attention and you won't give me the light of day! Why aren't you listening! WHY?"

"Go upstairs."

My chest heaved, as I glanced before everyone in the room, and my mother repeated, "Go upstairs now, Clare."

"No, you know what, I have somewhere to be…where someone might actually care," I whispered, grabbing onto my jacket incase the September breeze would kick in at night.

"Where are you going?" my mom asked.

I laughed, "A place where I **_might_** have a chance to belong."

Shaking, I walked towards the house. He may not want me there, we may not exactly be on good terms, and he may hate me for all I know, but I was alone and I needed him.

_He was the only person who seemed to care these days._

I walked onto his porch, tears smothering my eyes and cheeks. It was a fifty/fifty chance that he would open the door and let me in, but it was also possible that he would ignore me and turn me away. It was either taking the chance or go back home…or, that place I live in. It does not really feel like a home anymore. By that sentence, I knew what I would rather do.

Taking a deep breath, I knocked on his door, praying that he would answer. I stood there, continuing to cry, waiting impatiently for him to open the door. After thirty seconds of waiting, I tried again. I waited again, tears coming to my eyes when I thought he would not get the door and leave me standing on his doorstep in despair. I was just about to turn around and leave when the doorknob turned and, sure enough, the boy in the mask opened the door to me.

My nostrils were filled with his intoxicating scent, and I forced a smile, as his green eyes stared into mine, showing off no emotion, "What are you doing here?"

**END OF CHAPTER 6**

* * *

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Love you guys,

Cliffhanger Girl and TurboWiz70

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	7. Darkness and Secrets

**Author's Note From TurboWiz70–** Thanks for the reviews. Read, review, enjoy!

**Author's Note From The Cliffhanger Girl-**Your guys' reviews are just amazing! Nearly thirty reviews for one chapter, that's just...*le Eclare fangirl sigh* outstanding! Please keep up the reviews, they mean a lot to us! Feedback is what we crave :)

**Twitter:** TheCliffyG and TurboWiz70

**Will be updated every:** Saturday

* * *

**_Trespasser_**

**_Chapter 7: Darkness and Secrets_**

**ELI**

She was at my door. She was crying. She needed someone. But why come to me? I'm the one who basically told her that I did not want to be anything less than her English partner.

"What are you doing here?" I asked sternly.

Her eyes were gazing upon the floor, quiet but noticeable sobs escaping her lips as her frame started to shake. It's when she lifted her head and the moonlight shined off her face, I noticed, a red hand mark embedded across the side of her face.

"Did he do this to you?" I asked, anger getting ready to erupt as she shook her head, her tears falling onto the patio, "I-I got into a fight with Fitz at the dinner table…I confessed in front of Nick and my mom what he did to me. T-They thought I was crazy and they didn't believe me. They believed him over me, even my own mother. So I snapped, and called my mom a…a whore."

My eyes widened slightly as she continued, "It just slipped out. All she's been doing is sleeping with Nick whenever Fitz and I aren't around or even when we are around. It got to me and she didn't believe me, and the worst part is…I-I don't regret it. That's why I got the slap to the face, because I was telling her why she was doing this to me and why she isn't paying attention to me anymore…"

I inhaled sharply, before gazing my hand over the irritated skin, "You need to put something on this; it's already bruising."

"I-I don't want to go back home," she whimpered, wrapping her arms around herself.

I didn't know why I said this, but I did, knowing I would regret it later, "Just come inside Clare, I'll get you some ice."

* * *

**CLARE**

I slowly followed Eli inside his house, noticing how dangerously dark it is.

"Take my hand," he whispered calmly, as I reached for his hand in the dark, and when our skin touched, I felt the same electric shock I felt when Eli helped me up from the ground the day we met.

"Watch your step," he said, but I couldn't even see my hand if I put it in front of my face.

"Sorry about it being dark; I like it this way," Eli continued to lead me through his house, and I could've sworn I went up steps, but then down steps, so I couldn't particularly target where I would end up.

_**Even his house was a mystery.**_

It amazed me that he was able to lead me through it without bumping into anything or getting lost since it was so dark; he must've been really used to it. My feet hit the wooden floors and stairs through many rooms. If I wasn't so determined to get away from my "family", I would've been terrified; but part of me trusted Eli and he was the only one I could put my faith in right now.

The strangest thing was that his house was pitch black and there was no sign of a sibling, or even parents. Perhaps his parents got divorced and they split the house so Eli gets to stay here? I'm not completely sure how that works, considering when KC recommended it to my parents; they shut his as well as my thoughts down.

When we both came to a stop, Eli ordered, "I'm going to need you to slide down this pole."

"What?" I asked him, my eyes wide with fear.

I heard him chuckle, before he gripped both of my hands and I felt a pole, kind of like the ones from the park, "It's just like the ones at the park, just grip onto it, and then slide down."

"You go first," I whispered, my heart racing.

"Do you not trust me Clare? I'm hurt," he feigned hurt, so I smiled slightly, starting to feel the burning sensation in my cheek, "Come on Clare, trust me."

"O-Okay."

With that, I didn't know what pushed me; perhaps it was my curiosity of Eli's life or just my grave desire to stay as far away from my house as possible.

My heart dropped into my stomach as the pole slide felt as if it was never going to end, until my feet hit the ground, and Eli yelled from above, "Now take ten steps to your left."

I followed his instructions, and as Eli was sliding down, I took it as the opportunity to glance around. The only light in the room was a dimmed desk lamp, which had several papers crumbled on it. I slowly walked over to it, only to jump when Eli came out of nowhere, and stood in front of me, "What do you think you're doing?"

"I was just-I saw the light and I-," he scoffed, "Put your curiosity aside. I wouldn't walk into your house and read your precious diary, so please, take a seat right here."

He rolled over his desk chair in the middle of the room, where I then had to sit nervously in the dark silence. The desk lamp was dimmed, barely supporting any light from where I had been placed. My heart raced, not liking this feeling of being completely alone, until I heard a chair being rolled closer to me.

"Keep still," I tensed, nodding slightly, before I felt a cold pack of ice being gently placed on my cheek.

I flinched, gripping onto his forearm, as he whispered, "I know it hurts, just relax."

I obeyed and loosened my grip on his arm, but still held it. As I did, I saw his green eyes through the eyeholes in the mask; they were staring back at me and they took by breath away. They were beautiful and stunning…I have never seen a pair of more remarkable eyes.

After our eyes stayed locked for at least ten seconds, he blinked and averted his eyes to my cheek.

"How's it feeling?" he asked.

"Better," I answered, the ice numbing the throbbing pain. He held it against my face for another minute or two before removing it, "Does it need to stay on longer?"

I shook my head. "It's fine, thank you."

My cheek was cold and a bit wet due to the ice, but it soothed my skin until the pain was nonexistent. Eli held the icepack in his hands and stared at the floor.

"What are you going to do now?" he asked, his tone deadly.

I shrugged.

"I haven't figured that part out yet; but, I don't really want to go back."

"Don't blame you," he said, still not looking at me. "They haven't moved in yet, have they?"

"No," I said, shaking my head. "But it's a matter of time. And…I really don't want to live there anymore, but if they move in…"

I did not know how to continue, so I just looked down at the hands that were folded in my lap. I didn't even want to think of the hell my life would become if those two moved in with me and my mom…or worse, _we_ would have to move in with them.

"Do you need a place to stay tonight?" I heard Eli ask.

"What?" I said, coming out of my thoughts.

"Do you have any place to go? A friend's house? Family in the city you can stay with?"

Reluctantly, I shook my head, "No."

I saw him stand up, put the icepack on his dresser, and then open up one of the drawers for it.

"Do you…want to stay here?" he asked with his voice heavy in apprehension.

I was surprised, but I was highly tempted to accept the invitation. Where else was I going to go? At the same time, however, I really did not want to feel like he had to do this. Every time we spend time together, even if it's just for a minute, one of us always runs away distraught or angry.

"I…I don't want to be a bother."

_A bit late to say that now considering I intruded on his evening._

"It's either here or the streets," he said, looking over his shoulder directly at me. "Where would you rather go?"

Not wanting to get onto his bad side or give him a reason to throw me out into the night, I responded, "Thank you."

"But it's only for tonight. Understand?" he said.

I nodded, deciding that I would rest tonight and figure out my next move tomorrow.

"I…I really appreciate it."

"Don't mention it," he said, going through his drawer.

"Would your parents mind me staying here?" I asked, still unfamiliar with the living situation of his parents. He froze as he dug through the drawers before answering.

"No…no, they wouldn't mind."

I noticed how detached his voice was…it sounded broken. I decided not to press the matter since it was obvious that he didn't want to discuss this. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't, because he was about to speak again.

"You can stay here as long as you don't snoop around," he warned me sharply.

"I won't," I promised, willing to do anything to not go back to my mother's house.

* * *

**ELI'S POV**

I was not exactly certain if I was doing the best thing for her, but I did not care; I wanted her to feel like she had a place to go, whether we were friends or less than friends. I finally found an old, extra-large dark green t-shirt and some baggy sweatpants.

"You can sleep in these if you want," I said, tossing them to her.

"Thanks," she said before she turned her eyes to my bedside table; I knew she noticed a copy of _Stalker Angel_. I saw a small grin come to her lips before she looked back at me, "So you like the series too, huh?"

"Something like that," I said, quickly moving to the table to grab it before she got any ideas. I moved to my desk and quickly began hiding any notes and files I had for the next volume. I did not want her to know that I wrote this series; I did not want her image of Ari Gold to be tarnished when she realized that it was me, Eli Goldsworthy.

"What do you think of his work?" she asked as I hid the papers and book in my desk drawer.

"Decent," I say. "I think his nickname is a bit odd, though. You know, Scarred Face."

"All the websites say that something from his past helped him acquire that name."

"But he's never confirmed it," I reminded, not wanting her to know that the websites were right and his past was my past. How they got that information, however, was a riddle to me.

"Well, strange past or not, he's brilliant, especially for someone in our age group," she states and I could not help but smile behind my mask.

Just when she was about to praise him – _me _– some more, I heard the sound of a hand hammering against the front door. I looked at Clare and I saw her face turn pale, clearly terrified as to who may be at the door.

"That might be my mom…or Nick…"

"Stay here," I say. "Don't come out no matter what."

I swiftly left the room and traveled as quickly as possible towards the front door. The sound of the knocking increased with every step I took, sensing that the person meant business. I opened the door and, not to my surprise, I saw Clare's mother standing there; I recognized her from whenever I decided to look out the window and saw her with Clare. She looked furious and…no, just furious; she hardly seemed phased by my mask.

"May I help you?" I asked her.

"Where is she?" she demanded.

"What are you talking about?" I lied, knowing exactly what she was talking about.

"My daughter, Clare Edwards," she said. "Where is she?"

"Wait, she's missing?" I said, doing my best to play the clueless suspect.

"Oh, don't give me that! I know what you did to her, you twisted piece of filth! I know you tried to rape her!"

"_What_?" I screeched, not needing to act now. "I never – I would never – what?"

"You tried to rape her!" she yelled at me. "She ran away from home and I've called all her friends! None of them have seen her! You are the only person on our list of suspects! Now, stop playing games and let me see Clare!"

Was this what Clare meant when she said that no one believed her?

"I did not do anything to Clare. It was your boyfriend's son who tried to hurt her, not me."

"Why should I believe you?"

"It's not me you should believe," I said.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean stop living in your world when everything is perfect to you and listen to your daughter; she's telling you the truth."

"I'm going to ask you one more time: where is she?" she demanded, getting back on subject.

"Lady, you're accusing me of a rapist. If I could prove my innocence to you, I would be telling you where she is. But she's not here and I don't know where she is, so, I'm sorry, I can't help you. Goodnight."

I then shut the door in her face and locked it. I looked out the peephole of the door and watched the woman walk back across the street until I knew it was safe to go back to Clare. I made the journey back to the room and I slid down the fire pole. As I landed, Clare jumped out of her seat in horror.

"It's me," I said, although that was obvious to see by now. I saw her breathe in relief before standing up, still holding onto the clothes I gave her.

"Who was it?" she asked.

"Your mom," I told her. "She was looking for you."

She rolled her eyes and laughed bitterly.

"That's the first piece of care she's shown since the divorce; too bad she can't care that much when I'm around. What did she say?"

"She wants to know where you are," I said. "And she thinks that I'm the one who tried to rape you."

She scoffed.

"See! She doesn't believe me! Fitz told them that _you_ were the one who did it and they believed him and continued to treat him like a prince or something! And did they believe me? _No_!"

"Easy," I soothed her, putting my hand on her shoulder for a minute to calm her down,"Easy does it."

She took a few deep breaths and tried to not unleash any tears.

"It sounds like you've had a rough day; get some rest."

"Where are you going to sleep?" she asked as I stood up and began walking towards my bed.

"This place has more than one room," I told her.

"But if this is your room –."

"I'll let anyone I want sleep in it."

"But –."

"I insist," I finalized.

She was silent, not quite sure what to say.

"Thanks."

I really wish she would stop thanking me so much. I've given her the cold shoulder on and off ever since we met and all I just wanted us to be English partners so no more feelings would come of it, but that plan was failing miserably.

"Get some sleep," I said before moving towards the exit. I was almost there, hoping to get out before anymore words could be exchanged. Unfortunately, fate did not want to go with my plan.

"Can I ask you something?" she whispered, but loud enough for me to hear it.

"One thing," I permitted, keeping my back to her.

"Why did you let me stay? I yelled at you a few hours ago and you basically said you didn't want to be my friend; why would you do all this after all of that?"

I breathed and looked at the ground a bit to compose my thoughts before turning to her.

"I know what it's like to be alone after your family feels like it disappears. I wanted you to have someplace to go."

She was silent and I think I saw her smile a bit, but I wasn't too sure.

"Thank you," she said, "For everything."

"Don't worry."

I was about to open the door when her voice reached my ears again.

"Did something happen to your family?"

"I allowed you that one question," I reminded her before she repeated her question.

"Did something happen to them?"

"Goodnight, Clare," I said as I opened the door.

"But –."

"Goodnight," I snapped before shutting the door all the way.

* * *

**THE NEXT MORNING**

* * *

**CLARE'S POV**

It took me a while to get to sleep last night, but I eventually did and I slept tranquilly. I kept my promise to Eli and did not go looking through his stuff; I owed him that much. I snapped my eyes open when I heard the closing of a door; startled, I sat up and looked around the room, but no one was there except me. I then turned my eyes to the bedside table and saw a plate of French toast, a glass of orange juice, and a note next to it. Puzzled, I took the note first.

_Thought you might want some breakfast before school, you looked a bit famished. I'm going to go for a morning walk, but I'll be back to get you before school. See you soon._

_Sincerely,_

_Eli_

I could not help but smile a bit when I saw that he had given up on signing his notes as _Masked Boy._

**END OF CHAPTER 7**

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	8. Breakfast Blues

**Author's Note from TurboWiz70: **Thanks guys for all the support you've given Cliffy and I the last few chapters! I don't think I've ever seen anything like nearly 200 reviews in 7 chapters! Let's give you guys a round of applause (*applaud*). While we're at it, let's applaud Cliffy for being a mastermind genius and all around awesome person (*applaud*)! Well, here's the next chapter! Read, review, enjoy!

**Author's Note from The Cliffhanger Girl: ** Thank you guys for all your reviews/alerts/subscriptions. They all mean a lot, each one of them. We're so close to 200 on seven chapters, and that is just frickin amazing. Please keep up the constant feed back, it's really helpful and we enjoy reading your clueless-like reviews! :)

**ATTENTION TO THOSE WHO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT ELI'S MASK:** Many of you guys' reviews contain questions pertaining to what Eli actually looks like (the mask). We can't actually tell you flat out, but you find out in time as the story progresses...

* * *

_**Trespasser**_

_**Chapter Eight: Breakfast Blues**_

**ELI**

"How was your breakfast?" I asked Clare, as she continued to be eerily quiet, and stare down at her feet. At first, I thought I had done something wrong, perhaps the French toast and orange juice wasn't enough or she didn't like it? After all, I'm not the best cook, but I try. I don't see why she would be this mad at me over breakfast to be giving me the silent treatment.

"If you didn't like it, the least you can do is fake a smile and not be so stuck up about it," I hissed, moving past her to grab my bag, as she asked softly, "You think I didn't like it?"

"The silence pretty much said it for you," I hissed, while opening the front door for her to leave first, "I never said I didn't like it Eli, don't jump to conclusions."

"What did the silence mean then?"

"I-I just, no one has ever made me breakfast since my dad…a couple of months ago. I haven't seen him because he has a new family to take care of, but it was just nice to have someone to think of me before themselves. My mom doesn't even worry about feeding me, but she makes sure to have a whole buffet of breakfast for Fitz and Nick to come over to." She was gazing upon her shoes, an intense glare with the floor continuing as I sighed, "W-Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it."

I swallowed the lump in my throat, before asking, "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, yes…thank you for letting me stay the night, Eli."

I nodded as she walked out ahead of me and I offered, "If you want to, I can drive you in Morty, or if you need to go into your house to get your book bag or whatever…I'll wait; I don't mind being a bit late."

"I'm not going back in that house until later. The books I need for school are in my locker anyways. Let's just go in your hearse, if that's okay with you."

She glanced over in my direction as I smirked beneath my mask, "Sounds good to me. I'm surprised Saint Clare wants to drive around in a dark, possibly haunted, hearse when she can't even slide down a pole."

Clare giggled and at that moment, knowing I caused that laugh, made my heart stopped beating.

"Oh please, Eli, anything beats walking."

"That is true."

When I opened the door for her, she was hesitant in getting inside, but did anyways, knowing we'd be late for first period if we didn't quicken the pace. The ride there was short for the most part and when I pulled into my spot, I glanced over to see Marisol, leaning against her car, so I mumbled without thinking, "Oh God."

"What?" Clare asked, glancing over at me. I sighed dramatically, "Now I've got to deal with this bitch."

I pointed to Marisol as Clare asked, staring into my eyes with a stern look on her face, "Is she bothering you, Eli?"

The words didn't even get to leave my lips, before Clare got up and exited Morty, storming towards Marisol, "Hey, you've got a problem with Eli?"

I gulped, standing behind Clare, making sure nothing happened as Marisol replied, "Oh, you mean the freak show I get here every morning when he pulls up? No, no problem at all."

"Freak show? Just because he wears a mask doesn't mean he's a freak! Sometimes I wish you would wear a bag over your head but we never get what we want some times…now do we, Marisol?" I was wide-eyed, surprised and shocked at Clare's behavior towards this girl. I mean, I wouldn't have the heart to do what Clare did, but the girl deserved it.

"That's what I thought," Clare whispered, as Marisol grinned at her, "You'll pay for that; perhaps when the rumors start spreading even more?"

"What rumors?" Clare looked at Marisol with a keen eye, as I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Oh come on, Clare, don't play dumb. Everyone knows that you slept with Fitz while his dad and your mom were right downstairs. Who would do that? Sluts, I guess…"

"Hey, she didn't sleep with-," Clare cut me off, placing a hand on my chest to stop me from talking, "If that's what you think I did Marisol, then go ahead, spread the rumors…I've got nothing to lose. But you, you've got power squad, presidency, and your friends to lose. Me, I've only got myself to lose; nothing more, nothing less."

I smirked behind my mask as Marisol said, "You don't know shit about me, Clare."

"I know that you're hooking up with KC behind Jenna's back while you pretend to be best friends with her."

Marisol's jaw dropped, as well as mine, before Clare continued, "Yeah, apparently being a quote on quote 'loner' and not talking gets you far. You hear everything nobody thinks you do."

"Please, Clare, don't tell anybody," she begged and I smirked at the irony.

"I won't tell a soul as long as you stop bothering Eli."

Marisol flashed me a dirty look, eyeing me up and down, before rolling her eyes, "Fine."

I followed Clare as she smiled and walked by Marisol, "Oh my God, Clare, that was amazing!"

"Hey, you let me into your home and made me breakfast; the least I could do was help you out with her. It's sad, really, what she does to people. I'm not letting her put my only friend down," she quipped and I smiled at the word "friend". It was a good thing Clare can't see any of my facial expressions beneath my mask because she would probably be scarred for life.

As we walked up the Degrassi steps and entered the school, Clare said, "Well, this is it I guess. Thanks for last night again, and oh, tell your parents thank you for me."

In that very moment, the color drained from my face, memories flashing before my eyes, and my stomach churned painfully…

I had to get away.

* * *

**CLARE**

"W-Where are you going?" I called out to Eli, as he mumbled an "I need air" before running outside the Degrassi doors.

I bit back my bottom lip, while trying to make out where he zoomed off to, but I failed miserably considering he was too quick. I wish I knew what was wrong. Was it something I said? Oh no, I mentioned his parents…why did I let that slip? Something is up with him. Where are his parents? Why does he live alone? Why does he wear a mask?

Too many questions were floating around as I shook my head and walked towards my locker, just focusing on getting to class on time. I'm sure Eli would be in English soon, so I just smiled, plugging in my combination into my lock.

"Where were you?"

My eyes shot up, seeing Fitz, leaning against the row of lockers beside me as I spat, "Wouldn't you love to know."

"Listen here, I'm done dealing with your dramatic shit. First you pick a fight with me, lie to our parents, and then you run off. Where'd you go? The freak's house? Huh, Clare? Where? Where'd you go?"

When I didn't respond, he started to poke me repeatedly, and I completely…fucking lost it.

"I spent the night at Eli's and you know what? I loved being there, because it's better than being around you people! I'm done dealing with you, my mom, and your dirty, piece of shit for a father! Just leave me alone!" I shouted, grabbing my books. Fitz wouldn't move out of my way when I tried to maneuver around him, "Are you really starting with me at school?"

He smirked at me, "Your mom wants you home after school."

"I don't care," I whispered, "I have to get to class."

"I promised her I would bring you home."

I chuckled, "You shouldn't make promises you can't keep."

"I intend on keeping it."

I glanced up at him, glaring into his eyes, "I already have a ride home."

_**Lie.**_

"With who? The freak? It's dangerous to drive around with that guy; he probably keeps one hand on the wheel and the other on his cock while he's jacking off to you in the passenger seat."

The second my clenched fist connected with his face, every onlooker gasped. Surprisingly, it didn't cause much pain, just a slight pinch.

"Fuck, Clare," I saw blood dripping from him mouth and I smiled, bending down to his level where he was hunched over, "For your information, he keeps both hands on the wheel and his two eyes on me. And, if anything, I'd be the one with my hands on him."

I patted him on the back, hearing him groan while clutching his jaw, "Pathetic."

My first few classes passed by quickly, my knuckles began to bruise slightly from the impact with Fitz's face. But, nonetheless, I was doing okay. Aside of the fact Eli never showed up for English and I had to work on our project by myself…

* * *

I made my way outside for lunch today, knowing Fitz wouldn't be outside because he's extremely lazy and doesn't want to walk down the steps. I smiled, pulling out a cereal bar that I didn't eat yesterday for lunch; I decided, why not consume it now? I'm sure it's still good…or at least I hope so.

My eyes wandered around and I nearly choked when I noticed Eli on the roof of Degrassi, his legs dangling over the building. I dropped my cereal bar, roughly pushing and shoving through people as they cursed at me, but I didn't have time to spit fire back at them. I had to get to Eli, before he did something stupid. I needed him; I couldn't lose my only friend. At this very moment, I don't care if I'm not his friend, just as long as he's my friend. I mean, he has to have some sort of feelings for me, even if it is just a friendly feeling.

It must be his parents making him so upset, but what would make him this upset to be standing on the edge of his schools roof? What would be so horrible that put him in this position? Perhaps Eli doesn't have any parents anymore and they died in an _**accident**_…maybe that's why it's a sensitive topic.

Either way, I was going to have to talk him out of this, whether he liked it or not. I've lost so many loved ones in my life and I was not ready to let go of my newly found, masked friend.

I raced up the steps, three at a time, until I reached the door to the roof.

"ELI, WAIT! DON'T JUMP! STOP!"

_Oh no. _

**END OF CHAPTER 8**

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Cliffhanger Girl and TurboWiz70

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	9. Jump

**Author's Note From TurboWiz70: **Aren't we evil for putting up such a cliffhanger . . . oh, if only you guys knew what is to come . . . hehehe. Anyway, thank you guys for your amazing reviews! We are so pleased that you guys are keeping up with this story and are enjoying it! Here's the next chapter! Read, review, enjoy!

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**Twitter:** TurboWiz70 and TheCliffyG

**Will Be Updated Every:** Saturday

HAPPY ECLARE EVERYONE!

* * *

_**Trespasser**_

_**Chapter Nine: Jump**_

**ELI**

My legs dangled over the building as I swung them back and forth happily, humming a tune to my favorite song while biting into my turkey sandwich. Hmm, I just love turkey; it's my favorite kind too…fresh from that deli a few blocks away from school.

My peaceful, music-filled trance was broken when I heard over my blasting music, "ELI, WAIT! DON'T JUMP! STOP!"

I knew that voice from anywhere.

"Clare?"

"Eli!" Tears were staining her cheeks as I ripped out my earplugs before asking, "What are you doing up here?"

"I could ask you the same question, Eli…please just move away from the ledge. I know that you might be going through a rough time right now, and-," I cut her off, "Wait, you think I'm going to jump?"

She looked at me, flashing me a weird, twisted expression as I chuckled, "I wasn't going to commit suicide, Clare; I needed air and this place up here has lots of wind. Plus, it's lunch time already, misewell eat my sandwich. Here, do you want a bite?"

I extended my arm out to her, moving the sandwich near her face, "Come on…it's turkey."

"Eli, I came up here thinking you were going to…you were going to…" I saw the sad look in her eyes, tears slipping through her clenched eyelids. I placed my sandwich down while asking, "Would me backing off the edge make you feel better and stop crying? My stomach can't handle the tears right now."

She sniffled, nodding as I got up, moving closer to her, "See? I'm fine, Clare; don't worry."

"We need to talk, Eli…," she whispered, glancing up at me as I asked cluelessly, "What about? Did Fitz bother you?"

"No, Eli, we have to talk about you."

"What about me?" I asked, gripping my book bag and slinging it over my shoulder. Her lips released an exaggerated sigh, "I want to know about you, Eli; I've known you for…well, not a long time but enough to know a little about you. All that I know is your name is Eli Goldsworthy, you wear a mask, and you live in a dark mansion. That's all I know…"

"It's better off you don't know," I simply stated, before she spat, "You know, I'm trying to be friends with you…I'm trying-."

I cut her off, "Well, stop trying and give up. I never said I wanted to be friends; I just told you that you have a place to stay when you need to, nothing more."

"Are you serious?"

I turned to her, before heading towards the roof doors, "As serious as a heart attack."

"There's something between us Eli and you know it," she insisted and I smiled, shaking my head, "You know nothing, Clare; and, even if you do deserve to, you won't ever understand me. I am who am for reasons I'll never tell you."

"I stood up for you to Marisol, I covered for your ass to Ms. Dawes saying you were sick," her cheeks were turning red and puffy as I said, "Those were all things you didn't have to do."

"Why are you being so stubborn?" she asked, embracing herself as I scoffed, "I'm not being stubborn; I'm separating your dream friendship with me from reality. Pull your head out of the clouds Clare, and then maybe you'll see the real me."

Clare stood there, dumfounded.

And that's the way I liked it.

* * *

**CLARE**

All I did was scare him off. Ironic. I go up there to help and all I did was make things worse. I guess I'm a jinx or something. I stood there on the roof, not sure how to feel or what to do. I tried to numb the feeling, but it just remained with me, making me feel alone and cold. I loathe that feeling…almost as much as I loathe Eli's mixed signals and my home life.

I was about to leave when I noticed a piece of paper on the ledge where Eli was sitting before I came up here. My curiosity getting the best of me, I picked it up and unfolded it. The paper _definitely _belonged to Eli; I recognized his handwriting from the three notes he had left for me. What was on this paper, however, puzzled me. It read:

_Clara_

_-blue eyes, pale skin, pink lips_

_-vampire (?)_

_-tries to get Malcolm to open up to her_

_-has essence of light around her except when it rains_

_-arrives in Volume 4 or 5_

I did not know what to think…but I was amazed and my interest in Eli increased…or should I say Ari Gold? Or Scarred Face?

It all added up. Volume 4 or 5? Those were coming up next in the _Stalker Angel_ series. And Malcolm? That was the name of the main character! It all fit together too well to be considered a coincidence!

Plus, this character – named _Clara_ – had my eye color, my skin, and my lips and just so happens to be trying to get this mysterious guy to open up to her. It made sense…it was the only logical explanation.

"Miss Edwards?" a stern voice called out behind me.

I stopped gazing at the paper and twirled around to see Principal Simpson behind me.

"You aren't supposed to be up here," he scolded.

"Sorry, sir. I was just…um…"

"I'll let you off with a warning this time around since you usually follow the rules, but don't let me catch you up here again."

"Okay," I promised, before exiting the rooftop with him right behind me.

"Remember, next time there will be consequences," he warned me.

"There won't be a next time, sir," I said, folding up the paper and putting it in my pocket.

"Good," he said. "Now get back to class."

I obeyed and began walking towards my appropriate classroom, wondering if I was right and the masked boy was one the people I admire so much…

* * *

**ELI'S POV**

Morty was my only place of sanctuary now that Clare discovered my hideout on the roof. I was now sitting in my beloved hearse and this is where I was for the remainder of the day. Unfortunately, I wasn't going to be able to sit back like I planned. I was panicking…_seriously_ panicking. I was going to try to plan the rest of the latest volume of _Stalker Angel_, but when I went looking for my notes on Clara, I could not find them anywhere. I searched through my books, folders, bag, _everything_!

_**It was gone!**_

I didn't know where it could be.

**_What if I lost it?_**

Or worse, what if someone found it? What if they figured out that I was the writer known as Scarred Face? It was a long shot that it could happen, considering I actually only met one of my fans, but it was still a possibility.

I kept searching for the remaining hours of the school day to no avail. I needed air and I needed it desperately. I climbed out of the hearse and tried to breathe; it would've been easier to inhale the oxygen if it wasn't for the mask, but it wasn't worth the risk.

_I inhaled and exhaled, trying to clear my head..._

* * *

**CLARE'S POV**

"Where were you last night, young lady?" my mother demanded the second Fitz and I stepped into the house. I do **_not _**remember how Fitz convinced me to get me to come back to this place with him; all I can recall is him threatening to beat up Eli and break into his house, so I had no choice to surrender and the first thing to greet me was my mother's yells. There was no "Clare, I'm glad you're alright" or "I was so worried"; it was yelling right off the bat.

"She was at her rapist's house," Fitz said before I could get a word out.

"He's _not _a rapist!" I stated. Nick, Helen, and Fitz stood there and ignored me…surprise, surprise.

"That's it! I'm calling the police!" Nick declared.

"No!" I shrieked. Eli and I may be on bad terms right now because of what happened on the roof, but I didn't want him to go to jail because of me.

"He told me you weren't there last night and you clearly were!" Mom shouted.

"I didn't go to his house until after midnight," I lied, hoping it would sound believable and help Eli's situation. "I was in the street for a few hours, but then I went to Eli's and he let me stay."

Everyone looked shocked and disgusted; they stared at me like I was some kind of slut.

"How could you even consider going there after what he did to you?"

"You mean save me?" I snapped, wanting them to believe my story…to believe the truth.

"Clare –."

"He did! And if you don't believe me then…I'm not staying in this house anymore!"

I then shoved passed the adults, stormed to my room, and locked the door. I meant what I said; I refused to stay with a group of people who could care less about me. I went to my closet and pulled out my suitcase, determined to pack all I could into it. I packed clothes, my wallet and money, copies of _Stalker Angel_, and a few other important items I wanted to keep with me (like the necklace my sister made me before she left).

I didn't know where to go, what to do, or who would help me if I were to need it, but I refused to be in this house for one more second.

I moved to my balcony, my suitcase in one hand and my school bag over my shoulder. I dropped both of them to the ground first before climbing out of the house and praying that I would not hurt myself, and hopped down and landed on my feet. I stumbled and the impact hurt my ankles a little, but that was the worst of it.

Not wanting them to come after me, I grabbed my bags and ran…I ran and I did not look back.

**END OF CHAPTER 9**

* * *

**232 REVIEWS WILL GET YOU A FRIDAY NIGHT UPDATE :p **

**Hint To The Next Chapter: Clare runs into a little trouble...but who will save her? ;) **

Love you guys,

Cliffhanger Girl and TurboWiz70

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	10. Save Me

**Author's Note from TurboWiz70- **You guys are the best! Seriously, thank you for all the feedback you guys have given Cliffy and I! Thank you guys SOOOO much! Now, here's the next chapter . . . read, review, enjoy!

**Author's Note from The Cliffhanger Girl- **Thank you guys so much for all of your feedback! It means the world to us! Please keep it up! :)

**Twitter: **TheCliffyG and TurboWiz70

**Will Be Updated Every- Saturday **

* * *

**_Trespasser_**

**_Chapter Ten: Save Me_**

**FITZ**

"She might have the nicest rack I've ever touched, but she is the dumbest broad I've ever got to know," I told Owen about Clare, as he sighed, "Man, no one ever said banging your probably soon to be sister would be easy. Just give her space, she'll come back."

"They always do," I lit up a cigarette, breathing in the sweet nicotine.

"What about that freak, though? Didn't you say he tried to rape her or something?" Owen asked, and I glanced out my window, in search of Clare coming back to her house, "Yeah dude, I walked into Clare's house, he was on top of her and everything. He clocked her in the cheek too; I had to hold ice on her face while she cried in my arms. It was ridiculous really, but it was worth it. When I get the chance, I should thank him for the pity blow job I got from Clare."

"Comfort them for a half hour and you get everything handed to you on a plate."

I smirked, lighting up my bong and deciding to take this outside. Since my dad was out with Helen, I decided to get a little high before they came back. That's the only way I can get through my day, smoking or sniffing, either one gets me far.

"So, she ran away? Where do you think she'd be?" I sat on my porch, lighting the flame beneath my bong, "I don't know man, she's annoyingly complicated. It's not like she'll survive on her own; she'll be back. Maybe she'll get mugged or some shit. I'd pay fifty bucks to see her come back crying to her mom. Meanwhile, in all honesty, her mom is a cunt; she never pays attention to her. I kind of feel bad a little…oh wait, no, no I don't."

"Well, this phone call was useless," Owen sighed, obviously bored from me talking, "Alright, let's make it interesting. My dad's sleeping over Clare's house, so why don't you come over? Bring over two girls, who did you have your eye on?"

"I've got Marisol under my arm and Jenna."

I sighed, "Not Jenna…don't bring her; she had like twelve kids."

"She had one, man," he mumbled, "I don't want some girl who's all used up and saggy."

"I'll bring over a surprise girl. Are we playing threesome grenade or foursome all the way?" I inhaled the smoke, before replying, "If this surprise girl is hot as fuck…I'm in for a foursome. If not, threesome grenade and we dispose of the other one. Hell, don't bring Marisol; I'll pitch in for a prostitute."

Owen snorted, "Man, it's like two hundred bucks for the one we slept with last week."

"I'll pay half," I muttered, "Come on man, please…I'm sexually frustrated and Clare's not back yet. Please, please, please."

"Sorry, no can do brotha'. Maybe next weekend," I groaned, "Alright, I'm gunna' sit on the porch, finish up my bong and then jack off. I'll see you tomorrow, around seven, this way we can light up before school."

"Alrightie."

I threw my phone back in the house, before plopping my ass down on the porch, letting my vision become slightly blurred and my mind begin to clear…

"This is going to be a good night."

* * *

**CLARE**

"Hey! Give it! Give it back!" I tugged at my bag, an intense game of tug of war happening between me and this stranger, who decided it was a nice night to mug a teenager girl. I growled, my hands beginning to slip, "Stop! It's my stuff!"

"Give it you stupid bitch!" he growled, and I gasped, my grip loosening to its full extent. Before he could fully run away with my stuff, the only thing I could grab onto in time was my _Stalker Angel_ Volume. I glanced down at it shakily, my hands trembling as I sunk back onto the park bench.

I was minding my own business, not bothering anybody, which probably made me a perfect target for thieves.

"It's not like I needed anything else anyways," I gripped onto my _Stalker Angel_ _book,_ clutching it to my chest as I noticed the man didn't even bother taking my school book bag. Of course, not even a thief would steal school books.

"And then there was two," I mumbled, lying down on the cold, desolate bench.

Tears streamed down my face as I stared out into the oblivion, the stars not even shining bright enough tonight. The park was empty; everything was just so…empty. My body felt hallow as I remembered how my mother wouldn't believe me about Fitz. I just wish I had someone…anybody.

It's so hard to make one friend, and I thought Eli would be a possibility. I scoffed, sniffling and rubbing my hands between my thighs to try and create warmth from friction. But, not even that worked because my fingers were going numb.

**_Curse this cold Canadian weather. _**

"As long as I don't go back _there,_ I'd rather freeze to death," I groaned, facing the bench, clutching onto my _Stalker Angel_ book for dear life.

People can take all they want from me, but this book, they would have to rip out of my cold, dead fucking hands.

"Clare?"

* * *

**ELI**

"Why'd you leave me all alone? Huh? Why?" I screamed, breaking everything in my way. I smashed vintage vases, ripping up papers and letting myself destroy anything I could get my hands on.

My heart was racing, hands shaking, as I shouted, pointing at the picture, "Did you have to fuck me up this badly? You fucked me up, and then you left me! How do you live with yourself?"

"And you! You didn't even try! You didn't try at all!" My blood was boiling, my throat becoming sore from my unnecessary outburst, "You left me like this…ARE YOU HAPPY? ARE YOU FUCKING HAPPY?"

I could hear their laughs fill my head as I screamed, dropping to my knees and ripping the mask that was suffocating me off my face. My chest heaved as I stared down at the mask, and traced over the scars on my face, wiping away my tears.

"W-Why'd you have to leave me? I h-hate it…I hate being alone."

Between my life and my _Stalker Angel_ note being lost, I didn't know what triggered it, but I'm assuming around those two topics made me sink into a depression outburst. Everything was just cornering me and I couldn't breathe.

**_My past, my present, and my future, all a lost cause._**

I should just kill myself…

_But, then there's Clare_.

She'd be devastated; just the _thought_ of me killing myself had her in tears on the roof today. I sniffled, my cheeks burning as the darkness continued to do its job and suffocate me. I let out a breath of relief, before my breathing hitched; hearing a loud screech echo through the house, "SAVE ME ELI! SAVE ME! I'M BURNING! SAVE ME! THE FLAMES, IT'S BURNING ME! I CAN'T BREATHE, I SEE YOU ELI! STOP STARING AND SAVE ME! SAVE ME IF YOU LOVE ME!"

I seethed, biting back my bottom lip.

The voices only stopped when Clare was here; I had to find her, and I had to bring her back. I couldn't take it anymore; these voices needed to be silenced, and if she was the antidote, then so be it.

"I'll save you," I whispered, before placing my mask over my face, and rushing out the door, slipping into my leather jacket.

My smirk went lopsided, confusion taking over me when I noticed Clare wasn't in her bed. Her room was empty, eerily empty. Her drawers were opened, loose clothes hanging out of them, and her laptop gone, along with the _Stalker Angel_ book she always held close to her chest. Tears threatened to fall, but I shook my head…

I'm determined to find her, even if it takes all fucking night.

"Perhaps a walk will clear my head. And who knows, maybe I'll find Clare…"

* * *

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We know we know...for the next few chapters they were written too long, resulting in us splitting the chapter in half. *dodges bullets*

Love you guys,

Cliffhanger Girl and TurboWiz70

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	11. Bite Your Tongue

**Author's Note From TurboWiz70- **So, to those awesome people who reviewed this and supported this, thank you! Uh, to that reviewer: let's talk real quick. READ THE FREAKING AUTHOR'S NOTES! If you did that, you would've seen that we have had to cut a few chapters short because they were too long. And we take too long to update? We update once a week; sorry that we have lives and other works outside of this fic. Cliffy and I don't know each other outside FFN so sorry if our only communication is through the Internet and that causes us to slow things down a bit. And if it only takes one "unsatisfying" chapter of a story you're this far into to make you stop reading, then you are a sad person. For the rest of you people who have supported Cliffy and I, thank you! Read, review, enjoy!

**Author's Note from the Cliffhanger Girl:** Well, it's finally here, our first negative review after 243 positive ones! If we could send ya a fruit basket, we would! As for your complaint towards the chapter being short, if you would've read the A/N like a good little reader, you would've known the chapter was short for a reason! But no, you failed to do a simple task. As for "dragging this story out", we're sorry but if we just type up a couple of chapters and told you Clare's background story, Eli's background story and then made them get together...it'd take about approximately three chapters. Sorry if we wanted to make the story meaningful! I mean, who would've thought writers would try to convey a message to readers...that's preposterous! *Gasp* we've never read a book or story before that gave away the entire story in the palm of your tiny hands. So thank you for your review, but guys, we lost one reviewer last week. RIP Anon. Have fun licking your elbow.

Now, onto more important things, thank you for those of you who DID read the A/N and respect our choice as writers. For you guys, you get a nice, long, lengthy chapter! :) Read, Review, Enjoy!

**IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT ELI'S MASK LOOKS LIKE, PLEASE GO AND VIEW THE IMAGE FOR THE STORY! AND BOOM!**

**Twitter**: TheCliffyG and TurboWiz70

* * *

**_Trespasser_**

**_Chapter Eleven: Bite Your Tongue_**

**CLARE**

I gasped, jerking my body up, "W-What are you doing here?"

"What the hell are you doing here? It's almost one in the morning, you don't even have a jacket on, and you're going to get sick. Do you know that thugs walk around here at night, stealing people's stuff? Raping young, innocent teenage girls? Are you really that stupid, Clare?" His voice was hoarse, as he ripped off his jacket, opening it up for me to slip my arms through.

I shook my head, "I'm well aware of my situation, Eli, and I don't need you to yell at me like I'm a child."

"Well, you're acting like one so I'm going to treat you like one. Put your arms through here," he ordered, and I shook my head once again, "No, I'm fine. Leave me alone, I was doing exceptionally well on my bench without you."

"Oh yeah? You think so? I don't know, the purple lips, quivering chin and frost bite on your fingers could've fooled me," he spat sarcastically, as I shot up from my bench, getting in his face, "Listen, I don't need your shit too. I had to run away because of you, I had to run away from my so-called 'home' because they wouldn't believe me! In the past hours I've been alone, by myself, not a friend to spend the night with, not a living soul who cares! The only person who showed somewhat of pity on me was the guy who mugged me…"

"You got mugged?" Eli's eyes bulged, and I could see his knuckles turning white from the tight grip on his jacket.

"Yes, for your information, I did…but all I saved was this stupid, freaking book!"

"Now it's stupid? What happened to 'oh, I love his work'?" Eli asked, getting underneath my skin, "You know what, Eli?"

I dug through my jeans pocket, until I found his notes from the roof, dropping it by his feet, "I know you're Scarred Face, Eli; you don't have to keep the lie up any longer."

"It wasn't a lie; I just didn't want to ruin how you thought of me. You thought…you thought Scarred Face was amazing and I didn't want to tarnish that."

I chuckled, "Oh Eli, you kill me. Seriously, you kill me. Just because I know you're an evil, twisted, heart-breaking person doesn't change my opinion of your work."

"Clare-," I cut him off, "Save me the pity, and just leave me to my bench."

We stood there in silence, staring at each other, his arms still held out for me to slip into his jacket. I sighed, crossing my arms over my chest, waiting for him to just disappear. I wanted to be alone; I craved for that feeling.

"I-I need you, Clare, okay? Is that what you wanted to hear?"

I glanced up at him, as he continued, "I-I…the voices…everything stops in my house when you're inside of it. The past freezes and disappears, the dark gets lighter, and my mind is clear when you're around."

"What are you talking about, Eli?"

His eyes turned lighter beneath his mask, as he begged in a pleading tone, "Listen, you have no place to go, and I have plenty of room in my…my parents' big house. Please, just put this jacket on and come with me."

The wind picked up, as I glared at him, "Come on, Clare, let your guard down…just for tonight; if you find somewhere else to stay, then by all means, you can leave. But you know as well as I do that you need a place to stay."

"Are your parents going to be home?" I asked. He sighed, parting his lips, before responding, "I'm offering you a place to stay; that doesn't give you permission to ask me questions."

"Are your parents going to be home, Eli?" I asked once again, and he forced my arms through the holes of his leather jacket, "If we're going to fight out here, I want you to be warm."

The moment I smelt his scent from his jacket overpower me, the warmth radiated through my body, calming me down a bit. Eli dug his hands in his pocket, goose bumps rising on his chilled skin, "I just want to know when your parents will be home, Eli, that's all."

"My parents are my business," he hissed, beginning to walk away and I had no choice but to follow, holding my book bag and _Stalker Angel_ volume.

"Well, where do they work?" I asked, and he chuckled, "They're business people, they travel a lot, almost all the time I'm alone. They are always on trips, traveling the world for their business, so you most likely will never get to meet them. But I'm sure if they were here, they would've loved to."

"Eli," he turned to me, as I smiled, "You're not alone anymore."

"Neither are you."

* * *

**FITZ POV**

"Oh yeah, that's good," smoke filled my lungs, as I glanced around, in a daze.

"What the…?" I might've been high out of my mind right now, but through my blurred vision I could see a masked person walking, with a curly haired girl in front of him. He had his arm on her back, leading her into his dungeon.

"Oh Eli…I told you, this isn't over."

* * *

**ELI POV**

Just as I expected, everything horrible stopped once Clare came back. The voices, the memories, the torture, it was all gone the moment Clare stepped into the house. The air was easier to breathe and, even though it was still dark like how I wanted it to be, the house seemed brighter. I could not explain how one person's presence could change so much, but I was not about to complain.

I let her stay in one of the old bedrooms upstairs; I took her through the house to show her where everything was and her room was the final stop on our tour.

"Will this do?" I asked as she looked around the room. There was a bed, wardrobe, vanity set, and a window which, thanks to me, was boarded shut so no one could ever open the shutters.

"It's great," she answered with a smile, before journeying over to the bed and setting her bag and book on the mattress.

"If you need anything, I'll be in my lair," I said. She smiled at me before walking back towards me; once she was close enough, she slowly and carefully pulled me into a hug. Slightly shocked, I carefully reciprocated her actions. I do not recall the last time someone hugged me or the last time I hugged them back, but it was really nice to experience it again.

Clare leaned away after sometime and kept smiling at me.

"Thank you," she said.

I shrugged and walked towards the door.

"See you tomorrow," I said.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight," I replied before stepping outside the door and closing it behind me.

* * *

**THE NEXT MORNING**

* * *

"How did you sleep?" I asked, as she walked slowly into the kitchen. A smile teased up on her lips, while I began making an omelet.

"Not bad," she answered. "Thanks again for –."

"Don't mention it," I said, as I put an omelet onto a plate. "Here."

"Thanks."

She took the plate handed out to her, and sat down at the island in the kitchen before me. I could feel her eyes on me, but chose to avoid her gaze.

"By the way," I said, picking up a plastic bag that I had left on the counter the night before. I placed it on the island, "I thought you might want these."

Curious, she abandoned her omelet and looked inside the bag and saw some of the clothes I purchased last night.

"I couldn't sleep last night, so I went for a walk when I remembered that your suitcase was taken. I thought, maybe this way you wouldn't have to wear the same clothes every day."

She was clearly stunned that I would do this for her, but she obviously appreciated it judging by the smile on her face.

"Thanks."

"Please stop thanking me so much," I pleaded, putting my own omelet on a plate.

She was silent after that, and we both ate our breakfast in silence…a peacefully, content silence.

* * *

**CLARE'S POV**

"Seriously, tell me!" I begged Eli in the middle of our English class. The rest of the class was doing an assignment for _Phantom of the Opera_ as Eli and I talked. We had finished ours and I was now asking him how he was inspired to write _Stalker Angel_. According to him, it was "top secret", but I wasn't buying that.

"Come on!" I said, trying to meet Eli's eyes through his mask. "Can you at least tell me when you thought of it?"

I saw Eli roll his eyes in surrender.

"I thought of it when I was fourteen, but I didn't start writing it until I was fifteen."

"Whoa," I said in awe. I definitely would not have been able to think of something as genius as _Stalker Angel_ at that age.

"Yes, I'm awesome," he said smugly. "Now that you got that out of me, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," I answered slowly and apprehensively.

"Other than me, who's your favorite author?"

"Well, it's a long list, but I have to say Chuck Palahniuk."

"Really? Me too," he admitted.

"Seriously?" I said, amazed that Eli and I had something else in common.

"The man is a genius!" Eli exclaimed.

"Keep it down back there, you two," Miss Dawes warned us.

It was pointless for her to tell us that, because the bell rang seconds later, signaling the end of class. Eli and I gathered our belongings and we left the classroom behind the rest of our classmates.

"Meet me at the hearse first thing after school, okay?" he told me directly once we were in the hall.

"O-Okay," I agreed, caught off guard by his sudden command.

"I just don't want Fitz hurting you or something."

"I'm a big girl, Eli. Besides, it's not like he'll try anything at school; there are too many witnesses."

"Good point," he admitted, although it was very apprehensive. I appreciated his concern; it was nice for someone to worry about me for once. "I'll see you after school."

"See you then," I whispered, before walking down the hall to my next class.

* * *

**FITZ'S POV**

I hid my face with a book as I leaned against the wall. Since my face was shielded, Clare and the **_freak_ **didn't notice me as I listened in on their conversation. It was almost sickening that they saw me as a monster. I knew she wanted me as much as I wanted her, but this creep was putting all these ideas in her head. She was going to have to see the truth sooner or later even if I had to make her see it.

Eli had to see it too. He could not keep interfering in Clare and I's growing relationship and I had to put a stop to his heroics until he ruins any last shot I had with her. I had to do something that would help Clare see that I was meant for her, that Eli was not right for her, and to be sure that I started getting Clare out of his life forever…

_Then a plan hit me._

* * *

**CLARE'S POV**

I was glad when the last bell of the day rang, therefore dismissing everyone from school. I just wanted to get back to the place that felt like a home to me for the first time in so long. Eli said I could stay as long as I need until I found a place of my own, so that was a comfort to me.

I had to admit that I was beginning to like Eli more and more. He was funny, smart, creative, mysterious…I could go on. I was just happy that I found such a great person to live with for the time being.

My mind kept racing about how I would be seeing Eli in a matter of minutes as I went towards my locker to get all my necessary books that I would need to do my homework tonight. I know he said to go straight to his hearse, and I will the second I get my supplies.

I opened up my locker and gathered my books when something caught my eye. There was a folded up piece of paper sticking to the door of my locker. Curious, I took it off the locker door and read it.

**_The hearse broke down. Meet me outside of our English class. I need to be in there for extra help._**

**_-Eli_**

I furrowed my brow in wonder. Where was the "sincerely" he always put it his notes? And since when did he need help in English? He was better at that class than I was, so why the heck would he need help? It did not make sense.

Hoping that he would give me some explanation after he got out of the tutoring session, I obeyed what he wrote in the note and went towards Miss Dawes's classroom. As I got closer to it, however, I noticed that neither Eli nor Miss Dawes was in there. Wondering more and more as to what could possibly be going on, I went inside the classroom.

**_It was empty._**

"Hello?" I called out, looking around the room. "Eli? Ms. Dawes?"

I then heard a laugh behind me. I quickly turned around to that guy...what was his name? He looked so...so familiar. That's when it clicked-it was Owen, standing in the doorway.

"What's going on?" I demanded of him.

"Nothing," he smiled at me before leaving the classroom and closing the door behind him.

Worrying, I bolted towards the door and began pulling on the door handle, hoping that it would open.

"Come on! Come on! Come on!" I growled repeatedly.

This was probably just some stupid prank to get the nerdy girl locked inside the English room. See, this is why our future is so fucked-mainly because of the messed up generation of kids we have.

I then heard another sinister laugh behind me.

_Maybe this wasn't a prank after all..._

This one, unfortunately, sounded extremely familiar. I turned around and saw Fitz crawl out from behind the teacher's desk. He was wearing a smirk of victory on his face.

"Well, well, well, it seems like fate has brought us together once again."

"What are you doing here? Where's Eli?" I asked, backing against the door as he came closer to me.

"And you think I'm the stupid one," Fitz chuckled. "Surely you would've realized that that note wasn't written his handwriting."

Now that I thought about it, the note did not match Eli's handwriting at all. I felt so stupid and now I was trapped in this room with the same guy who has been hitting on me since the day we met and then tried to rape me.

"Get me out of here!" I demanded, pointing a finger towards the door.

"Or what? You ran away, Clare; you can't go crying to Mommy anymore."

"I'll…I'll…" I began, only to find that I only had empty threats. I was not going to let Fitz sense my fear, but I was panicking inwardly. I had to get out of here; Eli would be waiting for me at the hearse and I did not want him to worry, plus I did not want to be in the same room with this guy.

Unfortunately, he must've smelt my terror and he played that to his advantage.

"Look, I can have you out of here in two minutes. I can call Owen and he will let us out. But there's one condition."

"And what's that?" I asked, desperate to get out yet terrified of what his condition would be.

He smirked evilly before taking another step towards me before answering.

"You have to kiss me."

* * *

**ELI'S POV**

I stood there, worry going through my body.

_Where was she?_

I told her to come straight to the hearse after school and she wasn't here!

_Where could she be?_

I wrung my hands together, my nerves not stopping for more than a second.

* * *

**CLARE'S POV**

"NO!" I hollered at him, refusing to have his lips touch mine. I ran back towards the door and tried opening it back up again, but it didn't budge.

"It won't be as bad as you think, Clare. According to some people, I'm a really good kisser. Of course, that's just their opinion; you're more than welcome to find out for yourself."

I tried to block him out, attempting to focus on getting this door open, but I was unsuccessful. Suddenly I felt his hands on my arms, causing me to shriek and turn around. He backed off at my squeal, but he continued to wear that smug look on his face.

"It's just one little kiss."

"I don't care! I won't do it in a million years!"

"Well, unfortunately, that's the only way out."

"Not the only way," I said, debating whether or not I could break a window by throwing a desk against it.

"But it would be easier if we kiss, get it over with, then you're home free."

"Never."

"Fine…but then I can call Owen and tell him to rough up that little boyfriend of yours."

My heart raced, fear consuming me.

"W-What are you saying?"

Using Eli against me-that was Fitz's intentions this whole time...

"Give me one kiss and I'll let you go, and he won't wake up in the hospital tomorrow morning."

"Don't you even thinking about hurting him!" I shouted at him.

"I wouldn't dream of it…you just have to kiss me."

I was trapped between a rock and a hard place; either kiss him and betray my heart or I don't kiss him and Eli gets hurt. I did not wish for any of these things to occur, but I had to make a choice. I did not have much time to make up my mind, because I knew Eli would start getting worried if I did not show up at Morty soon, so I had to think fast.

* * *

**ELI'S POV**

"Hey, freak," someone hollered. I wished that people would stop using the name when they talked to me; in truth, it was getting a little old. Rolling my eyes, I turned my head in the direction of the voice. I saw Fitz's friend, Owen, coming towards me.

"What do you want?" I demanded, not wanting to waste my time with this guy.

"You know that she doesn't really care about you, right?" he stated randomly as he approached me and my sexy baby, Morty.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Your little girlfriend," he said. "Clare? Is that her name?"

"She's not my girlfriend; we're just friends," I informed him; although there were times I wished we could be more. But we couldn't…I won't let us be more than friends. That was already crossing the line and I could not allow us to take it any further.

"Well, either way, she doesn't care about you as much as you think she does."

"I don't know what you're going on about."

"Clare likes Fitz."

I laughed; that had to be the most ridiculous thing I ever heard.

"Clare likes Fitz?" I echoed. "No way, that's crazy. You don't know what you're talking about."

"It's true. In fact, I bet they're hooking up right now."

"You're crazy," I said, not believe him.

"I'm not the one wearing the mask."

"Look, you just go back to your own little world of pot and sluts and leave me alone," I said, wanting to get him to get away from me.

"I'll prove it to you," Owen said.

"You can't prove anything."

"Wanna bet?" he dared. "Once you see it, you can't deny it."

I was kind of intrigued to see what kind of "proof" this guy had to offer.

"Alright," I agreed, wanting to see what he was going on about.

"Come with me."

I could not wait to see what Owen had up his sleeve; it would probably be hilarious to see, because I know that Clare would** _never_** kiss Fitz. How he was going to convince me otherwise, however, I was curious to see, so I followed Owen towards the other side of the school.

* * *

**FITZ'S POV**

She stood there, trying to make her decision. I knew how her mind worked, so it was only a matter of time until I was tasting her and she would be tasting me back. She finally let out a breath of surrender and faced me.

"If I kiss you, you have to swear to me that you will not tell Eli."

"It goes to my grave," I promised, knowing that I would not have to breathe a word for him to find out. She took a breath and looked me in the eyes.

"One kiss and then you get us out of here."

"Agreed," I grinned, before cupping her face and putting my lips to hers. She was so sweet, so soft, so delicate…it was amazing. It was even more amazing when she kissed me back and then we got some tongue involved.

I was loving this…I was determined to not let it end any time soon, so I deepened it and I smiled inside when she did not protest.

* * *

**ELI'S POV**

"For the record, I don't believe you," I told Owen as we journey the outside of the school. "I just want to see how you're trying to pull this off."

"Trust me, I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't the truth; I have better things to do in my free time."

"Sure you do," I said, rolling my eyes.

"You wanted proof? See it for yourself."

He gestured towards the window and I saw the sight that made my world breaking all over again…

I saw Fitz standing in the English room…and I saw Clare there with him. Her face was in his hands…and her lips were on his. It had to be one of the most passionate kisses I have ever seen. I instantly felt cold and alone. I put my faith and trust in this person and now she had taken out my heart and ripped it to shreds.

I wanted to avert my eyes from them, but I could not help but keep staring. It was hell on earth for me, but I could not escape it and now that image would be in my memory forever…just like all the other memories…

"I told you so," Owen said in mock sympathy.

Full of rage, anger, and heartache, I stormed away from the school and hurried back to Morty. Everything I had just saw replayed in my head again and again and I was starting to shake.

Was this what she wanted all along? She and Fitz were together this whole time and she made up all these stories about her life just to make him feel sorry for her? And then at the perfect opportunity they decided to do this just so they could see the freak in the mask breakdown? What else could I think? Clare wouldn't have kissed him otherwise.

I slid into Morty, having half a mind to drive off and leave Clare at the school…

But no. I was not going to let her get away with this. I wanted her to feel my anger. I wanted her to know that I was not breaking down; okay, I was breaking down, but I was not going to let her and Fitz know that. No, I was going to try and torture that conscience of hers…that is, assuming she had one.

But, in the meantime, I needed to play it cool…I needed to figure out a plan…

I didn't have to time to form any ideas now; Clare was coming towards the car and now was the time for me to not suspect anything.

"What kept you?" I asked her, trying to act indifferent about this situation as she climbed in.

"I had to talk to a teacher about some homework," she lied.

"Classic excuse," I muttered.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing," I said, putting the car in gear. "Nothing."

**END OF CHAPTER 11**

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Tsk Tsk Clare..."cheating" on Eli...even though you aren't dating...how dare you ;)

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	12. Bittersweet Friendship

**Author's Note From TurboWiz70: **Thanks everyone for your amazing reviews! Your support is incredible! Here's the newest chapter! Read, review, enjoy!

**Author's Note From The Cliffhanger Girl:** Thank you guys for all the reviews/subscriptions/alerts! They mean the world to us! Enjoy the um *Eclare cough* newest chapter ;)

**Twitter:** TheCliffyG and TurboWiz70

**Note About Eli's Mask!:** The picture for this story only has half of Eli's face covered, but since we couldn't find a picture that covered the whole thing, you just need to imagine the other half is covered...

* * *

_**Trespasser**_

_**Chapter Twelve: Bittersweet Friendship**_

**CLARE'S POV**

I was beyond relieved for that kiss to end, to get out of that school, and to be back in Eli's presence; he made me feel safe and calm. I really hoped he would never find out about Fitz and I kissing; I know we weren't a couple or anything, but I did not want him thinking that I was having feelings for the person who was making my life hell.

"Are you busy?" Eli asked me as he came into the living room, an hour after we left Degrassi.

"No," I answered, putting down my paper for history; I was actually in the middle of homework, but any excuse to get away from it was good enough for me.

"Good, because I'm working on this next version of _Stalker Angel _and I need my biggest fan's opinion."

I blushed a bit at his words, guilt going through me as I remembered kissing Fitz. He was calling me his 'biggest fan' and asking for _my help; _I could not but feel like I have betrayed him.

But I didn't betray him…

**_I betrayed myself_.**

I kissed a boy I despised instead of the one I'm falling for…at least; I think I'm falling for him? Was I? I was not sure. Either way, I could not be kissing some other guy when I was unsure of my feelings.

But Eli did not seem to notice that something was on my conscience, much to my relief, so I grinned and moved on.

"Okay, what do you need?"

"Well," he began, sitting next to me and putting some papers on the coffee table, "I'm having Clara and Malcolm get really close now. In fact, he's let her stay in his hideout with her because he sees that she needs to have a place to belong. The thing is that it was all a lie on her part. She makes Malcolm believe that he could have a friend, but, in truth, she's been in love with her abusive fiancé the whole time and she thought it would be fun to mess with Malcolm's head."

An uncomfortable lump was forming in my throat and my stomach was churning with compunction. I had the horrible feeling that this was not about the story.

"How did you find out?"

"I saw it!" he nearly shouted at me.

"Eli, _please_ believe me! I didn't want it to happen!"

"You kissed him, Clare! And it looked like you wanted to! So was him trying to rape you all an act too? Did you just stage that so you and your little friend could laugh at the stupidity of the freak in the mask?"

"No!" I said, tears coming to my eyes at those words. How could he think it was all an act? "Please, let me explain!"

"Why should I?"

"I can see why you're mad, but I am _not_ involved with him! He said that if I didn't kiss him, he would hurt you!"

"Do you really expect me to buy that?"

"It's the truth, Eli!" I yelled, determined to get it through his head.

"Why would you kiss the guy who tried to rape you for _**me**_?" he demanded.

"Because I care about you! It was either kiss him or let you end up in the hospital!"

He chuckled, obviously still refusing to believe me.

"You don't believe me?"

"How can I?" he shouted; I could see the anger in his eyes behind the mask. "If this guy is making your life _that _bad, you wouldn't have kissed him!"

"I would only do it if it was someone I care about!"

"Seriously, you can stop the charade now! The fun's over! You can pack your bag, walk across the street, and have a good laugh with your boyfriend!" he said, standing up from the table and I followed suit.

"Fitz is _not _my boyfriend!" I informed him. "I don't even want to be with him!"

"Sure didn't look like it to me!"

"Well, I can't be!"

"Why?"

"Because I think I'm falling in love with you!"

I couldn't believe I had said it, allowed it to fall from my lips, and the worst part was, I didn't hesitate, nor did I stutter. This was the first time in my entire life where I had mentioned the word love to someone and meant it wholeheartedly. My heart raced as Eli stared back at me, not a word being said.

"I-I'm sorry, if it's too much-," he scoffed, "There's a difference between loving someone Clare, and being in love with them."

"You're mysterious Eli, you're handsome, sarcastic, witty, and the best friend I've ever had," I admitted, even though we've only known each other for nearly a month, my feelings for him were growing more intense every day.

"Clare," he scoffed, shaking his head, "I don't know what to say to that, but what I can tell you is that you don't know anything about me."

"Then tell me," I begged, as he chuckled, "You wouldn't understand."

"Help me understand."

He inched closer to me, placing a hand over my bicep, the electricity shooting through my body, tiny hairs sticking up on my arms as he whispered close to my ear, "Maybe someday."

* * *

**HELEN**

"I saw her Helen, she went into the house with him again," Fitz informed me, and I sighed, sipping my coffee while trying to pull my thoughts together, "If she's spending time with him, that means he must be threatening her."

"You don't know rapists Helen, nor do you know how they work," Nick said, placing a kiss on my cheek as he grabbed the newspaper, looking at it intently, "I know I don't know rapists, but I don't know what to do about her. She seems like she's happy when I see her outside before and after school."

Nick and I have been meaning to have this conversation about Clare, but we've decided that we needed to do something to get her help. She's obviously been in denial about her rape, but the top priority was getting her better. We've decided not to press charges on the masked teenager, considering we don't know what he's capable of, or if his parents are even worse than their freakish son. Besides, I didn't have the money for the best lawyer around, and neither did Nick, so we'd have to just settle on dealing with the past in a cheaper way.

"It's been a week Helen, and your daughter is out of control. Listen, Clare is a rape victim and you're going to have to help your daughter in her time of need," Nick handed me a pamphlet; "It's a place where rape victims get treated to get over the memories. Who knows, maybe Clare will thank you one day for this."

"I can't do this to her Nick, if I send her away it'll just make her angry," I swallowed the lump in my throat, as Fitz dug into his eggs, "You have to put her before your feelings baby. She's obviously traumatized and in a daze. Fitz, didn't you say you saw her crying in the hallway on Friday?"

Fitz nodded, smiling at me, "I tried to help her…but when I tried to hug her she just ran away, begging me not to touch her. I felt so bad, but I didn't know what to do."

"My poor baby," I whispered, tears pricking my eyes as Nick placed a kiss on my lips, "Don't cry Helen, just send her away…it'll heal her, trust me."

"What about a therapist? W-what if I could trick her into going to a therapist? I just don't want to hurt her anymore than _**he**_ has," this masked boy was threatening my little girl, keeping her captive.

"Why don't we have an intervention for Clare? Just to show her how much we love her," Fitz egged the idea on, and I smiled at his caring tone towards Clare, "Oh Fitz, that's brilliant. I know a good therapist, and she'll let us have this convention."

"But how are we going to get her there willingly?" Nick asked, sipping his coffee.

"I know the perfect idea."

* * *

**CLARE**

After Eli and I made an agreement to use the time we have now as a way to get to know each other more, the air had seemed lighter. The tension between us wasn't as thick, and since it was Saturday, I had suggested that we get out of this house and get some fresh air.

And what better way to get fresh air than playing a game of tag with your best friend?

"No! No that's not fair Eli! You cheated! Tag!" We both chuckled, out of breath from chasing each other. My face was beat red, the early October chilled winds picking up and hitting my sensitive skin.

"Did not!" he teased, getting close to my face when he caught up to me.

I smiled, my chest heaving, "Did to."

"Did not," he breathed out, obviously hotter than me from running all over his backyard because his mask was suffocating him.

"W-why don't you…why don't you take off the mask for a little while?" I asked, and he shook his head, mumbling, "I'm fine, I just need to catch my breath…you're a fast runner."

I giggled, "Eli, an eighty year old turtle runs faster than me."

"Bull shit Edwards," he heaved, leaning his hands on his knees as I chuckled.

I took him by surprise when I fell into the pile of raked leaves beneath his hunched body. Our eyes clashed, and I smiled, giggling at him, "It's a nice view from over here."

My hand slowly reached up to the side of his mask, tracing out the outline, "You know Eli…we're not strangers anymore…you don't have to hide from me."

His breathing hitched when my warm fingers touched his cold skin. He slowly gripped my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze while staring into my eyes, "Just because…we're best friends…doesn't mean I'll allow myself to let my guard down and ruin everything."

"What do you-?"

"Clare! Honey!"

My body jolted up from the pile of leaves, to see my mother, smiling while walking in the gate, "Honey, I have some good news to tell you!"

She eyed Eli, judging him by his looks as I cleared my throat, "What do you want mom? The whole reason for me not being home is so that I don't have to be around you, or Fitz, or Nick. I just want to be left alone."

Eli placed a hand on my back, ready to rush me into the house if anything went down, "Oh honey, I have good news to tell you."

"What's going on? Are you getting married now?" I spat, as she smiled, "No sweetheart, it's about your father."

My body tensed, "What happened? Is anything wrong?"

"No honey, but he called today."

My breath was getting caught up in my lungs as I tried to find ways to breathe, but I was just so happy to hear good news for once. My life hasn't exactly been easy, but having my father call, possibly to see me, was the best news I've heard in a long time.

"Well, what did he say?" I asked, smiling from ear to ear.

"He said that…he wants to meet you, for lunch. Since it's Saturday, he has to be at his work with his new girlfriend. He wants to introduce you to her, and talk to you a bit," my mother smiled, as I sighed, "Well…I guess if he wants to talk, then I should go, right?"

My mother smiled, "You can do whatever you like baby girl, but he sounded excited to see you. He says he really misses you and wants to explain to you why he hasn't been answering your calls, texts, letters, emails…"

I turned to Eli, who shrugged his shoulders and said, "If you want to go Edwards, go."

"Mom, can you give Eli and I a minute? Get the car ready," I told my mother, as she smiled, before heading out of Eli's yard and to the car to start it up. I sighed, my heart filling with warmth, "Did you hear that Eli? My dad…he cares, he still cares."

I couldn't help but keep smiling as Eli said, "Just keep your guard up Clare, you never know what he wants you for. I mean, thinking about it, he's been out of your life for quite a while, right? Why does he decide to call you now? Seems a bit suspicious, don't you think…?"

"Oh Eli, that's nonsense, I'm sure he just misses me and has finally realized that he's missed his daughter," Eli nodded to my words, then said, "Well, here's my phone number…call me if you need someone to pick you up or anything. I just want you to know that I'm here, no matter what happens."

"Nothing bad is going to happen Eli…stop thinking so negatively," I placed my finger under his chin, forcing him to look up at me, "I'll be back Eli, I'm not leaving you forever. I'm just going out for a bit, don't miss me too much."

As I made my way out of the yard, I heard a faint whisper…

"_I will, so much."_

**END OF CHAPTER 12**

* * *

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	13. Desperate Need

**Author's Note From TurboWiz70: **thank you everyone for the amazing reviews, subscriptions, and adding this to favorites. You guys are awesome! As promised, we updated early for you awesome people. Read, review, enjoy!

**Author's Note From The Cliffhanger Girl:** Well well well, thank you for all of your reviews/alerts/subscriptions! Please keep them up, although the next update won't be until Friday night most likely.

**Twitter:** TheCliffyG and TurboWiz70

**Note About Eli's Mask!:** The picture for this story only has half of Eli's face covered, but since we couldn't find a picture that covered the whole thing, you just need to imagine the other half is covered...

* * *

**_Trespasser_**

**_Chapter Thirteen: Desperate Need_**

**ELI**

"_She's gone Eli…now where does that leave you?"_

"_All alone." _

"_Yes…alone!" _

"_You're all alone…now all you've got left is us."_

"_She'll never come back…her father came to her rescue when you could never help." _

"_Don't be naïve, you could've never loved her like Fitz loves her!" _

"_You'll watch her burn, like you watched me!" _

"**STOP IT!" **I screamed loudly, my voice echoing the dark, vacant mansion as I let the voices inside my head in, allowing them to tear my mind to shreds.

It's amazing how the moment I step back into this house without Clare by my side, or close to me, the voices come back. They're all real, which makes it even worse. Sometimes, I see them walking around, as if they're actually _here_ with me.

I scoffed, remembering how I tried to embrace them once, but I only went straight through them. The end result being that I plummeted to the ground, and gave myself a nice nosebleed. I traced over the outline of my mask, and slowly pulled the string from behind it, only to chuck it to the other side of the living room.

"_NO! PUT IT BACK ON! PLEASE!"_

"_YOU'RE SO UGLY, PUT IT BACK ON!" _

"_IS THIS HOW YOU'RE GOING TO REEL CLARE IN, BY SHOWING HER YOUR HIDIOUS FACE? HA!" _

"_ELIJAH, PUT IT BACK ON! DO IT FOR US, PROTECT YOURSELF! DON'T SHOW CLARE WHO YOU ARE, YOU'LL RUIN EVERYTHING!" _

"I-I can't breathe with it on…I need an hour to breathe, I'm sorry," in all honesty, trying to play tag with Clare was exhausting. The mask suffocated my nose and mouth, so I could barely breathe while chasing her energetic body around the backyard. But now that she's gone for a bit, I need to let my face get some air.

"_You don't deserve to breathe, you should be dead." _

"_Why'd you survive huh? You're not special, just a waste of space…I hope you put that mask on so tight that it kills you!" _

"AH!" I screamed loudly, covering my ears and trying my best to block out these voices. But I failed, I failed, just like every time someone needs me…I fail.

Tears streamed down my face as I clenched my eyes shut, kneeling on my knees, whimpering at my cell phone, "P-please call Clare…please."

* * *

**CLARE**

"Dad's in there?" I pointed to the therapist's office as my mother smiled, placing a hand on my shoulder, urging me towards the room with a push, "Yeah, he should be in there. Look, he texted me."

I glanced at the text that read…

**_I'll be at Irene's therapist office; she could only get off for lunch. Tell Clare I'm sorry and I love her, can't wait to talk to her. I miss her and want to make our wrongs right. _**

**_-Randall _**

"Well, I guess this is it…so, are you going to wait out here or…?"

"I'll be right in honey, I just have to arrange some stuff around the car," I flashed her a confused expression, before shrugging the weirdness off and getting out of the car, slamming the door behind me. I wasn't going to let her, or Nick, or Fitz ruin this for me.

I took a deep breath, before marching into the therapist's office.

"Hi, I was supposed to meet my father here, his name is Randall and his…his girlfriend is a therapist who works here," I informed the woman sitting at the office desk, as she smiled, "Take a seat for a few minutes, and we'll call you in."

"O-okay."

My butt plopped down on a chair, as I looked around the place. It was fairly empty, which was a bit confusing to me since this place seemed so fancy. I was assuming she had a big business, but perhaps she takes one at a time? It's not like I'm here for an appointment though, I'm just here to see her and my father.

To pass some time, I decided to text Eli.

**"_So far so good. I can't wait to see my dad, hopefully he'll be reasonable. But, I will admit, I miss you a little. We need to continue that game of Tag when I get back. Are you up for it tough guy? ;) –Clare" _**

I flipped through a magazine about information on how to deal with people who have schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder, which interested me. It was amazing how complex the human brain is, especially when it comes to people who can't figure themselves out.

My phone buzzed, and I smiled, looking down at the text, but couldn't help but feel something was a little…_off._

**"_That's good Clare. I don't know if I will be up to it. I'll probably be sleeping by the time you get back, so just be quiet when you come in. –Eli" _**

"Clare Edwards!"

I jumped up from the uncomfortable waiting room chair, shoving my cell phone in my pocket, before running up to the office desk eagerly. The woman smiled, and said, "Please Clare, follow me."

"The second door to the right."

This was finally it, the moment my father and I would be reunited, and we can talk our heads off about how we hate my mom…about how we hate her decision to be with Nick…about how she's ruining my life by keeping a somewhat rapist in our household.

My smile soon turned into a defeated frown, in noticing in that moment, that Eli was right this entire time...

* * *

**ELI**

"_She's doing fine without you, she doesn't need you anymore!"_

"_Oh boohoo, Eli, the poor baby doesn't get his way again." _

"_You had to have seen this coming; the mask doesn't cover your eyes too, now does it?" _

I took a deep breath, sucking in all the air I could before pulling myself underneath the ice cold water in the bathtub. My body relaxed for a moment, the only thing my mind worrying about is getting more oxygen. I shook my head, digging my nails into my bare thighs, and forcing my body to stay underneath the surface.

The voices were lower under the water, and if Clare wasn't here, this is what I had to do to keep myself sane.

My ears popped painfully, bubbles rising to the surface due to my intense coughing fit. My eyes burned, and I smiled, realizing how I put the bubbles in purposely for my eyes to burn. The pain took my mind off reality when Clare wasn't around to do it for me.

After another few seconds, my stupid instincts kicked in and I shot up from underneath the bone-chilling water, to breathe out heavy, rigid breaths. My heart was racing, pounding so roughly against my chest that I thought my head would explode.

"Fuck," my bangs stuck to my forehead, as I glanced around the room, smiling at the pure, _suffocating _darkness…

* * *

**CLARE**

"We love you Clare…we just want you to know that we all love you here," Nick spoke in a sinister tone, as tears formed in my eyes, knowing I was gathered here for the wrong reasons, towards the wrong person.

I was tricked to come, and forced to sit here, to listen to my mother, Nick, and Fitz brag about how much they "care" about me. All the while, the therapist in the room was writing, jotting meaningless things on her stupid fucking notepad.

"Well, I think Clare's got the picture…but now I'd like to talk to her, just the two of us," the therapist spoke in a soft tone, as I glared down at the carpeted floor, not wanting to look up or respond to anybody.

"We'll be waiting outside honey," my mother tried to place a hand on my shoulder, but I jerked away from her touch, as if her hand was poison.

When the door closed, the therapist, Mrs. Johnson, stared up at me, then sighed, "I know this is hard on you Clare…"

"No, okay, you don't know what hard is," I spat, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Help me understand what hard is," she said, batting her eyelashes while flashing me a smile.

I remained silent, as she whispered, "Clare, I know it's hard to be a victim of rape…but maybe talking about it will help."

When I didn't respond to her, only keeping the stone cold expression on my face, she sighed in disappointment, "Oh Clare, please say something. It's just me now, not your family. You can trust me, I'm just here to help."

"Why don't we…talk about what happened that night," she suggested, continuing without my permission, "During the duration of the rape, was the mask still on his face? Did you identify his actual face? Was he touching you inappropriately with the mask on? Did he say anything to you?"

Tears welled in my eyes, not knowing how to respond to any of these questions.

_**I didn't know the answers. **_

I wasn't raped, I was _almos_t raped by Fitz, and Eli, the masked boy, had saved me. Everything was turned around, and my mother was turning the true story into lies. I stood up, wiping my tears, "Listen lady, I don't know what my mom told you, but I wasn't raped by a masked teenage boy. I was saved by him, so write that down in your fucking notebook."

"It's good to let anger out Clare, keep it going," I scoffed, "You people don't stop, do you?"

"Do you still feel his forced kisses on your face and that's why you scrub your face so hard that it bruised?" I gasped, feeling the slight bruise over my cheek that was from my mother, whom had hit me.

"I-I-I," she smiled sympathetically, "It's okay to feel that way Clare…dirty, I mean. A lot of my rape victims that I've handled have the need to scrub themselves until they bleed. But you Clare, you can be different and get over this. You just need to talk about it, tell me what happened."

"Nothing happened," I whimpered, "Denial isn't good Clare, just tell me."

"Will you stop pushing the issue? I wasn't raped!" I shouted, as she glanced up at me, "Sweetheart, please take a seat, we're not even close to done considering we haven't even gotten somewhat into what I need to know in order to make you_ well_ again."

"I just want to know how he touched…where he touched…why he touched you, what made you uncomfortable," I swallowed the lump in my throat, tears burning my skin, "I wasn't raped, he didn't touch me. I didn't want Fitz to kiss me, or pin me down, or force himself on top of me! Those things were harassment, not Eli, he didn't do anything!"

I grabbed my bag, rushing through the doors and past my**_ family_** who had concerned looks on their pathetic faces. I couldn't believe what they put me through, and especially the way my mother had lied to me like _that._

I ripped out my phone from my pocket with a shaky hand, and smiled slightly in relief, feeling the cool wind hit my face when the person answered on the other line, "O-oh t-t-thank god, Eli it's me…Clare. I need you to pick me up."

* * *

**ELI**

I drove Morty as fast as I could; going through red lights, while exceeding all the speed limits. Some might say I'm crazy, considering how many tickets I'd have to pay very soon, but I don't care, because it's _her _we're talking about…she matters, a lot.

When she called me in tears, sobbing so heavily I could barely hear her through the phone, she texted me the address to this place and I raced into Morty, heading towards her. No person or object will keep me from getting to her.

_She needed me…and I needed her. _

Morty jerked when I stopped short, seeing Clare, sitting on the sidewalk, hugging her knees tightly to her chest. The sight broke my heart in half, tearing it into tiny parts. My heart ached as I shakily tightened my mask, and then headed outside the car to approach her.

"Clare," I whispered softly, and I saw her look up, her eyes looking rather bloodshot from crying.

"You okay?" I asked, my voice hoarse.

She didn't respond, only attempted to hold back a sob, but she choked it out, her chest heaving. I bit back my bottom lip, not wanting to give into her, not wanting to give her comfort…but she needed it _**so **_badly.

"I-It was so horrible," she whimpered, her petite frame shaking on the ground as I swallowed the tight lump in my throat, before asking, "What happened?"

"…everything."

I wasn't going to let the voices in my head interrogate me, or threaten me this time. Clare was upset, and in dire need for a friend. I'm the only one around here right now, so I needed to be that person for her, the person who comforts her in her time of need when no one else can.

"Do you want me to bring you home Clare?" I asked, bending down to her eye level.

She glanced up at me, and we stared into each other's eyes. Her eyes were soft, but full of hurt at the same time, which pained me dearly.

"If…if by home you mean your home, then yes," she whispered, biting back her bottom lip. I smirked beneath my mask, "What other home is there, Clare?"

"I don't know what I'd do without you," her arms wrapped around my neck, pulling me into her body. She held me against her tightly, as I snaked my arms around my waist, inhaling her luscious scent. I closed my eyes, savoring the moment.

We held onto each other for who knows how long, and at the moment, all I could feel were her fingernails digging into my back, while her fingers shook. I rubbed her back soothingly, trying to stop her frantic cries, but nothing seemed to work. Her warm breath heated my neck, sending chills up my spine, "It'll be alright Clare…I'm not going anywhere."

Her face was buried into my shoulder, as she gripped onto me for dear life, as if I was the last thing that she had on this Earth. And yet, she had so much offered to her…why would she choose me, out of all the people in this world? Why? Why has the universe brought us together this way?

_At this moment, I didn't care, as long as we were together. _

Our embrace was becoming needy, for the both of us, which made my curiosity grow, considering I couldn't feel Clare moving after a couple of minutes. I smiled down at her, noticing her body had gone limp against my frame. Her eyelids were closed, her arms draped around my neck, with her tears stained on her cheeks.

This night must've been so hard on her; whatever happened between her and her father must've caused her a lot of emotional and tiring stress.

"Oh Clare," I whispered, stroking back a curl that was hanging lazily over her forehead.

I tried to get up to bring us to the car, but she groaned when I pulled away just a mere few inches. I smiled, knowing how her conscious was telling her to stay close to me. Clare groaned, her head digging into my chest as I placed my right arm beneath her legs, and hoisted her off the ground.

"Hm," she moaned in her sleep, and I slowly opened the car door with one arm, only to slide her in before me.

I must've drove for about an hour with traffic, until we finally reached my yard. I pulled Morty up into the driveway, and noticed Clare was in a deep sleep.

"No, no move," she groaned in her slumber as I tried to move her outside of the car.

I smiled, before deciding we'll just spend the night together in Morty. I leaned up against the driver's side of Morty, closing my eyes for a brief moment. Clare turned over, unconsciously moving closer to me, and resting her head on my lap. I smiled, stroking my fingertips over her light colored bruise.

"Hm, that feels so good," I smirked in satisfaction, hearing Clare's thoughts through her sleep.

My fingertips grazed across her face. A whimper escaped her parted lips, while her hands tugged at my knee, "D-don't leave me…don't leave me…don't…"

Her voice was starting to fade away, as I leaned my head against the window of Morty, and mumbled, "I'm never leaving you, Clare…never."

* * *

**CLARE**

My eyelids slowly opened, becoming accustomed to the darkness.

My fingers toyed with the thin fabric beneath my body. I was unsure of where I was, but the pitch black told me that it had to be Eli's room. I groaned, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, before taking a moment to realize Eli has brought me into his room, the one place that no one else has been in.

"Good morning."

I jumped at Eli's voice, before noticing he was sitting beside me this whole time. I maneuvered my body so that I could lean my back against the headboard of his bed. I sighed, watching with squinted eyes as Eli nudged a tray of food on my lap, "You should eat all of this; you need the nutrition."

"Eli…," I groaned in frustration because I couldn't see anything, "Can you please open a shade or something? I can't even see my hand in front of my face."

"You live with me, you live under my conditions," he stated calmly, so I glared at his figure, trying to see his facial expression. I don't know how he lived like this, in such a dark place...

While I was staring intently at him, I noticed something…

_He didn't have the mask on._

I didn't want to ask why, considering I couldn't see anything on his face anyways, so I decided to change the topic while biting into my French toast. "Thank you…for picking me up yesterday; you're a real lifesaver."

"It was no problem."

He was standing up, facing me and watching me eat, as if he was my parent, ready to scold me when I didn't finish the broccoli on my plate. I smiled faintly, as he cleared his throat, then asked, "If you don't mind me asking…what happened yesterday with your dad?"

Eli and I were both keeping secrets from each other, and if I told him that my family thinks he raped me, it would crush him. I placed my French toast back on the tray, before deciding to lie through my teeth, "I asked him if I could move in with him…and he denied me, then told me he has new kids to take care of."

"I'm sorry he isn't the father you need him to be," he whispered with a caring tone, which broke my heart because I was lying to him. But, just knowing he cared that much, made my body fill with warmth.

"Now…eat up, you have a long Sunday ahead of you."

"Oh yeah, and what are we going to do?" I asked, as I felt the bed creak, signaling he was back on the bed, "Well…I know you probably don't want to be around a masked freak in public all day, but if you're willing to look pass that, then we can go to a movie and get our minds off things."

I bit into my French toast once again, polishing the last bite off, before a smile tugged up on my lips, "You're not a masked freak, and I'd love to spend the day with you."

* * *

"What movie do you want to see?"

I glanced up at the times schedule, mentally analyzing at all of the movies, wondering which one will suffice both of Eli and I's movie needs. I haven't been out to a movie in so long, and I'm sure Eli hasn't either, so I wanted this to be a fun day out for the both of us.

"Well, I see there's…The Lorax," I recommended, and Eli scoffed beneath his mask. My head craned to his frame, while asking, "What? It's Dr. Sues; you can't go wrong with Dr. Sues."

"It's a kid's movie Clare, why don't you go all out today…and perhaps, I don't know, see a rated R movie?" I blushed, for reasons I could not explain, before mumbling, "I've never seen a rated R movie before…"

"WHAT!" Everyone turned their attention to Eli when he shouted as I sighed, "I know, it's pathetic…I was just never into the cursing, the sex, it's all too much in two hours."

"Well, how about we movie jump?" he asked, and I glanced around, noticing people still looking at Eli, and if looks could kill, Eli would be lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood.

"Eli it's illegal to movie jump," I whispered. He let out a dry chuckle, "Oh Edwards…if it really makes you uncomfortable, I'll pay for our tickets, and we'll go see The Lorax."

"Fine, how about a deal?"

"I'm listening, Edwards," he egged me on, "Well, I'll sit through a rated R movie with you, if you let me pay for popcorn and, in return, we don't movie jump because it just feels wrong."

"You run a hard bargain, but I will accept."

I held my coat tightly to my chest, as I noticed people from Degrassi piling in the movie theater. It's like there was nowhere else to go, like really? There are plenty of things to do on a Sunday, like last minute homework, or going over each other's houses.

"Got them," Eli handed me the tickets, as I walked towards the ticket ripper.

"Theater one to your right," I smiled kindly at the elderly lady who pointed out where to go, before I felt Eli's presence closely beside me, "So Edwards, what size popcorn you want? Large, large, or super large?"

"Super large will suffice," I said, pulling out my wallet as Eli gripped my hand jokingly, "Put that thing away; I've got it. You know, being the _Stalker Angel_ writer has its perks. So please, let me just pay for our movie day as friends out."

I knew I wasn't going to win, especially in a fight with Eli, "Fine."

As Eli and I walked to theater one, I couldn't help but notice children pulling on their mothers legs, while pointing at Eli. I could tell he was smiling beneath his mask, because I heard a dark chuckle. Even though this didn't embarrass me, it bothered me that he wouldn't trust me around him without a mask on. We've known each other for a while, and the fact that he can't trust me enough to see his face, bothers me.

"Want to sit in this row so we can lean our feet on the poles?" Eli asked, breaking my intense thinking, "What? O-oh yeah, sure…this row is good."

We both plopped down, as the theater lights turned dim, and the previews began to roll. Eli was silent, as I began to eat the popcorn by myself. I was curious as to how he would eat the popcorn when his mask covered his mouth. I nudged his elbow, before asking, "You want some?"

"Maybe later, blue," he whispered, shrugging his shoulders.

About halfway into this hilarious movie, I was so engrossed into the film that I didn't feel Eli's presence until our hands collided in the popcorn tub. We both gasped lowly, pulling away quickly as a burning blush creeped up on my face. I could hear his low chuckle, probably realizing the noticeable, embarrassing, nervous color invading my cheeks.

"You know, if you wanted to hold my hand, all you had to do was ask," Eli joked, and my heart sunk into my stomach, a wave of nausea coming over me. It was a joke for him, but to me, I mean, holding his hand really seemed like something I wanted to try. But I only smiled in response to his little "joke" and went back to watching the movie, stuffing my face with popcorn to emotionally eat myself away…

* * *

**ELI**

I smiled at Clare as she drew a little heart on the window due to the fog from the rain. I smirked, pulling Morty into the yard and slowly retrieving the key.

It was official, Clare Edwards had been the first girl to last an entire day with Elijah Goldsworthy, the kid with the creepy mask on his face. She was definitely different, and different meaning better than everyone else. Through my eyes, she was perfect, no matter how fucked up her mom or dad is. They all can't take care of her, but I can. Being there for her distracts me from my fucked up life, which is somewhat of a relief.

"Can't believe it, Edwards, you lasted the whole day without being arrested for seeing a rated R movie, and you didn't beg me to drive you home."

She smiled, taking my breath away before responding, "Why would I want to go back home when I was having an amazing time with you?"

Was she…?

No, she couldn't be.

Perhaps she is…flirting with me.

"I-I had a really amazing time with you too," I looked over at her, fiddling nervously with the keys in my hands. I traced over the outline of the key, feeling the bumps over my skin grow intense as I could sense Clare staring at me. My body shuddered, and yet, I did not move an inch.

My life ever since _**then**_ has been a complete downward tailspin, but somehow, someway, this girl distracts me and makes me feel like maybe one day, it could get better. A month ago, you wouldn't believe the words I'm thinking. But, after all I've been through with Clare, and my past, she's convinced me to trust her.

Emotionally, I can trust her…physically, I've got mixed feelings.

**_In due time. _**

"Clare?" I said.

"Yeah?" she responded in the most angelic voice my ears have ever been blessed to hear, while her cheeks turned an adorable rosy red.

"Can you close your eyes for me?"

"Why?" she asked, trying to suppress a grin of curiosity.

"Please?" I requested, not wanting to explain, afraid that she would turn away from what I was planning to do. She looked confused at first, but she soon agreed and her pale eyelids covered her blue eyes, and that's when I asked, "Don't open them until I say so, okay?"

"Okay," she agreed.

"Promise me you won't open them?"

"I promise."

_I believed her. _

Taking a breath, I slid the mask off my face and rested it on my lap. I felt so exposed although only one witness was around and she could not see a thing. It had been a while since my face had been acquainted with fresh air and it felt a bit strange at first, but it was worth it.

I gently cupped Clare's cheek and coaxed her to turn her face in my direction before leaning in, hoping that she would not pull away or open her eyes. I put my lips to hers and kissed her . . . and I felt her kissing me back. It was what I imagine and so much more; her lips were soft and gentle, sweet and savory. It was magical . . . it was phenomenal . . . it was beyond perfection.

My heart was racing, and for a moment, I thought I'd have to pull away and have Clare drive me to the hospital from going into cardiac arrest…but, I wasn't going to let that happen just yet.

She bit down on my lower lip gently, signaling she didn't want to pull away because she wanted to get as much air she could from that bite as possible. I groaned, holding back a moan before feeling her nimble fingers tug at my roots. She seemed to enjoy playing with my hair, so I let her continue and do as she pleased. Our lips moved in sync, not a dark thought in my mind as I felt her tongue coax over my closed smirk.

Not wanting it to end, but knowing it had to at some point, I slowly retracted my lips, relishing her taste until our first kiss was complete. She kept her word and kept her eyes closed; she seemed so surprised, however, that I'm sure she would've been keeping them that way whether she promised to or not. Relieved that she had not seen my face, I quickly retrieved the mask and put it back on.

"You can open them now."

I watched as she opened her eyelids, a blush on her face as she sat back in the passenger seat. A smirk tugged up on my lips as I watched her bring her right hand up to her lips, and smile contagiously, while gently tracing over the outline of her bottom lip.

But then, her smile had faded when she glanced upon me, "W-why can't you leave the mask off, Eli? I really don't think it's necessary after we just…you know…kissed."

Her voice was calm, and she sounded like she was in a daze, "I know I kissed you Clare…but you can't see me, it'll ruin everything we have between us. Everything, from friendship, to our…to the kiss."

I coughed awkwardly, looking around nervously, trying to look for an escape. She groaned, "Why are you being so difficult? I kept my word, I had my eyes closed and now all I want from you is just to see the man I kissed. Please Eli…I deserve that much."

"We don't always get what we want," I spat.

The next thing she did caused the blood in my veins to freeze, and possibly all the circles in hell as well. My lips went dry, my breathing hitched, and my eyes widened in all the fear.

_She had ripped the mask right off my face._

**_END OF CHAPTER 13_**

* * *

**The longest review will get a sneak peek sent to them! :) **

**Love you guys,**

**Cliffhanger Girl and TurboWiz70**

**3**


	14. Screams & Stories

**Author's Note From TurboWiz70: **Whoa! We ask for longer reviews and BAM! Every review was incredible for this chapter! They were amazing! Thank you all sooooo much for all the feedback you have given us for this story. We hope you enjoy the newest chapter! Read, review, enjoy!

**Author's Note From The Cliffhanger Girl:** The reviews were...just *le fangirl of Eclare kissing scene sigh* amazing! We might do that again, with the sneak peek for the next chapter, and the top 5 will get sneak peeks! We'll figure something out! Hope you enjoy this chapter :)

**Twitter:** TheCliffyG and TurboWiz70

**Note About Eli's Mask!:** The picture for this story only has half of Eli's face covered, but since we couldn't find a picture that covered the whole thing, you just need to imagine the other half is covered...

* * *

**_Trespasser_**

**_Chapter Fourteen: Screams & Stories_**

**ELI'S POV**

"What the hell are you doing?" I demanded, covering my face with my hands.

"I'm tired of the secrets, Eli!"

"They're not yours to know!"

"We're in this together!"

"No, we're not!" I scoffed, practically keeping my hands glued to my face, "You don't know _anything_ about me or what I've been through! You can't say there's a 'we' if you don't know what's going on with me!"

"I would know if you told me!"

I was not interested in her arguments; I was only interested in getting away from here, escaping to my room, and not having to deal with all the anger – and the portion of betrayal – that was going through my body. I then lashed my hand toward her.

"Give me the mask, Clare!" I shouted.

"Eli -."

**"_Now_!"** I've never screamed at her this loud, nor have I ever been this vicious towards Clare.

I felt the mask being forced back into my hands and I, with much difficulty, pulled it over my head until my face was hidden. Once I was confident she did not see my face as I covered myself, I turned my head towards her. I saw the worry and confusion in her eyes, but I had to act like it didn't affect me. I had already gotten us into a sticky situation by allowing us to kiss; to go any further than this would be nothing but catastrophic.

"Alright, we need to get something straight here," I began. "This was not supposed to happen or go as far as it did. From now on, we just share a house. We only talk if it's about school; we won't talk about our personal lives, what's going on with us, nothing but schoolwork! That's how it's going to be."

Without another word, I climbed out of Morty and began storming towards the house when I heard a hurt, cracked, feminine voice coming from behind me...

* * *

**CLARE'S POV**

He was on the porch by the time I was out of the hearse. He was about to open the door of his house as I ran to the steps, stepping in front of him, keeping him from charging inside.

"So that's it? We're going to be strangers now?"

"It's either that or kick you out, but I care about you too much to do that!" he explained heatedly, his hot breath hitting my face.

"Don't say that when you don't want anything to do with me!"

"It is what it is!"

I was not giving up without a fight. I already lost my family; I was not going to lose the only friend I had in the world.

"We just kissed and now you want me to act like nothing happened?"

"It shouldn't have happened! I'm sorry!"

My heart froze. Did he really just wish to take back what we had just shared?

"You regret it?"

"You won't understand."

"Why is that your excuse for everything? You can't just **_kiss_** someone like that and then expect –."

"Forget the kiss, Clare! It never happened, okay?"

"If it never happened, then why can't we just act like it never happened and be friends?"

"It's complicated! All I know is that we can't do this anymore!"

Without saying anything else, Eli stormed into the house and slammed the door and, seconds later, I heard a door slam from within the house. My heart was aching in devastation and longing for Eli.

I stood there, shocked as to how this day had went from amazing to horrible in a matter of five minutes.

* * *

I did not see Eli for hours after that, which made me feel even worse. As time went on, the worse I began to feel about ripping his mask off his face and yelling at him. But I was tired of the secrets and not knowing who Eli was; we had been living together for some time now and all I knew about him was that he was Ari Gold and that he was a fan of Chuck Palahniuk. I wanted to know more about him and he _refused_ to let me in.

I hated this, and if it wasn't for the fact that I was worried about Eli, I would've considered braving the streets again. Telling myself that living with Eli and seeing him every day as a stranger was better than my old home, I climbed into my bed in my room.

_Sleep was probably my only escape right now._

It was difficult, getting to sleep; every time I closed my eyes, I saw Eli and his mask. Whenever I wasn't seeing his eyes, I was feeling his lips on mine and I could taste him again. Tears attacked my eyes as I realized Eli would never kiss me like that again...or he would never kiss me again period.

Sobbing slightly, I put my fingertips to my lips as though I would be able to feel Eli's lips again. Disheartened that the person I longed to be with did not want anything to do with me, I retracted my fingers and turned to my side, waiting for sleep to find me so I could leave this day behind…

* * *

**3 HOURS LATER**

* * *

"WHY? WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME?"

_**BOOM! **_

_**BANG! **_

_**CLANG!**_

I jolted up, the sounds waking me from my dreamless sleep. Frightened, I continued to listen to be sure it wasn't my subconscious playing games with me.

"THIS WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN! WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME LIKE THIS?"

Eli's voice was soon drowned by the sound of furniture being thrown against a wall. I didn't understand what was going on, but I needed to figure it out before he hurt himself. I quickly got out of bed and ran from my room. I followed the noise until I was face-to-face with his bedroom door.

"Eli!" I screamed, banging repeatedly on the door, "Eli! Eli, are you alright?"

"IT'S NOT FAIR!" I heard him scream, obviously not hearing what I said. I then heard another _bang,_ followed by a howl of pain.

I was starting to panic, knowing that Eli could have been injured. I reached for the doorknob, only to find that Eli had locked his door. Refusing to sit by and let him get hurt, I looked for something to ram the door down with. I sprinted down the dark hallway and saw a bare coatrack not too far away from me.

I quickly grabbed the rack. Once I did, I flipped it horizontally so the bottom was facing the door. I went as fast as I could until the bottom hit the door. It was made a loud _crash_, but it was muffled by Eli's sounds. I tried again and again until…

The final hit made the door fly open.

I dropped the coat rack and darted into the room. It was dark, but I could see the outlines of Eli's desk, dresser, nightstand, and mattress all over the room. I also noticed Eli's mask on the floor. My eyes danced to the corner, where I saw Eli. His back was facing me…his _naked_ back was facing me. He had his head buried in his hands, screaming into them.

"Eli," I said softly, moving over to him. "Eli, are you okay?"

"G-Go away, Clare," he stammered forcefully. I did not listen and moved closer. I slowly yet carefully inched my hand towards his shoulder. I crouched down and my fingers barely touched him when he abruptly stood up and quickly turned away from me, still hiding his face with his hands.

"Eli, what's wrong?" I asked, straightening up and turning to him.

He snatched his mask off the ground and pulled it on before looking in my direction. He stood in front of me, shirtless and shaky.

"Are you okay?" I asked again.

He shook violently.

"No, Clare! I'm not okay! I haven't been okay in a long time and I don't think I'll ever be okay again!"

"What do you mean?"

"DO I HAVE TO SPELL IT OUT FOR YOU?" he screamed. "I'M _**NOT **_OKAY!"

He then picked up his desk chair and threw it across the room until it hit the door. He was breathing heavily when I took action. I stood in front of him and put my hands on his shoulders, forcing him to look at me.

"Eli, you need to calm down," I instructed firmly.

"You don't get it, Clare! I can't stay calm!"

"Yes, you can!" I protested. "I've seen you calm before."

"I'm not, Clare! It's all an act! I'm not calm, I'm not okay, and I'm not…"

He trailed off and began shaking more than ever. His legs began to buckle and he had to sit on the ground. Worried, I sat next to him and I carefully put my hand on his back and began sliding it up and down over his spine.

"It's okay, Eli. You can talk to me if you need to."

"You don't get it Clare, I can't be calm…I can't be normal…not with what I did."

Being as calm and as friendly as possible, I continued caressing his back and found my voice to say, "What did you do?"

I heard him take many breaths before he finally found the courage to look me in the eyes. His were broken and full of tears; in a rough, cracked voice, he answered my question…

"I killed my entire family."

"W-What are you talking about?" I asked, my heart racing, the realization hitting me that I really didn't know Eli, not one bit. I thought I did, I thought we had opened up to each other, but at this point, we were nothing but complete strangers.

A tear rolled down my cheek as he shouted, "I mean that my mom, my dad, and my little brother are all dead because of me! They're buried, six feet under, ALL BECAUSE OF ME!"

"Eli, I'm sure you're just overreacting," I whispered, as he snarled, "Overreacting? My God, Clare, I'm telling you that I killed my entire fucking family and you're standing there, trying to cover it up! What the fuck is wrong with you? Huh?"

He approached me, invading my space, as if trying to find a problem with me, "I-I don't believe you killed your family Eli, I just can't believe you would. You're not that type of person."

"That's what you think! For all you know I could've been planning to rape and kill you while you've been living here!" He screamed, his voice echoing the desolate mansion. Our heart beats were the only noise to fill the air, as we stared into each other's eyes, not a word being exchanged, but a thousand words being said.

"If that was your only intention," I exhaled, "Then you would've done it already by now."

"You don't need to know about my past Clare," he whispered, his bare chest heaving, the moonlight shinning off of his mask, "I-I'll ruin everything if I tell you. You see me as this amazing writer, a caring guy, a person who puts you before himself, and I don't want to tarnish that image for you."

"Nothing can change the way I think about you Eli, please, just tell me," I begged, gripping his shaking hands in mine, "Please Eli, in order for us to figure 'us' out, in order to continue what we have, I need to know. We have something special Eli, and you know it, even if you don't want to admit it."

Tears streamed down my face, as he used the pad of his thumb to wipe them away, "I-If I tell you, a-about me…about everything, you have to promise me, that you won't leave me. Please."

My mind wandered, imagining the worst, that Eli really did kill his family, that he really did murder or slaughter them. My heart raced, as I swallowed the lump in my throat, "I-I can't promise anything until I hear your story Eli."

He sighed, taking a seat on the floor once again, facing the window. I tried to touch his shoulder blade to comfort him, but he jerked away from my touch, "I was only thirteen when it happened. It all started on a Saturday afternoon…"

**_[Flashback begins]_**

**_ELI'S POV_**

**_I stared down at the blank sheet of paper before me, and then glanced out my window, trying to find a sense of inspiration. I sighed, failing at attempting to find something inspirational outside besides the annoying, chirping birds. _**

**_The candle on my desk continued to burn, a flowery scent filling the air as I groaned, standing up from my desk, pushing away the chair._**

**"_Ewi! Ewi! Ewi! Where are you going?" In the mist of unlatching the window to sneak out before my parents noticed, considering I was grounded from sneaking out last weekend, my little brother entered my room without my permission, announcing my actions to the whole world. _**

**"_I'm going out Ethan, just stay here and don't tell Mom or Dad," I ordered, grabbing my notebook, but my body stopped, halfway out the window when Ethan said, "Or what?" _**

**_I rolled my eyes, "Or I'll kick your-." _**

**_I bit back my bottom lip, sighing, "Please Ethan, just cover for me…tell them I'm in the shower or something." _**

**"_But you're not going in the shower or something," he retorted, his innocence irritating me, "I know that Ethan, but I need to write and I can't think of anything, so I'm just going to the park for an hour or so. I'll be back buddy, don't worry." _**

**_His green eyes filled with tears. I sighed, stepping back inside the house, kneeling before my baby brother, "Hey, don't cry…this isn't going to be the last time you see me, we have forever. I'll be back." _**

**"_Can I go with you Ewi? Pwease, I won't bother you! I just want to go to pet the birds in the park!" He smiled, showing off his two front teeth finally growing in, "I wish I could buddy, but I need silence. I just need a little time by myself. But when I get back, we can play a game, any game you want." _**

**"_Really?" his grin was contagious, "Yeah Ethan, any game you want." _**

**"_Can we play Goldsworthy stars?" I smiled, remembering how two weeks ago Ethan made up a game that consisted of each family member participating. Bullfrog, Cece, Ethan and I would lie down in the backyard, staring up at the stars as each of us gave one star a story. I might be getting old for a lot of things, but family time is one of the thing I value the most. _**

**_It's just that, right now, I'm in the writing mood, but I've hit a metaphorical wall trying to think of an idea. So, I need to sneak out for a bit to write, and then I'll be back soon…no harm done._**

**"_Yes Ethan, I promise, we'll play when we get home," he wrapped his arms around my neck, hugging me tightly, "I love you Ewi, I hope you come up with great ideas! Maybe you can include me in your book?" _**

**_I pulled back from our embrace, "What kind of book would I make without you in it?" _**

**"_A bad one," he said, as I touched his chin, "Exactly…alright kiddo, I'll be back in an hour. You can stay in my room if you want, but don't touch anything." _**

**"_Yay!" I watched as my brother flopped down on my bed, snuggling into my pillow. I sighed, walking out onto the balcony, and making my way down the tree adjacent to my window. _**

**_So it was a good thing, Ethan would probably fall asleep on my bed, which would give me at least an hour without his motor mouth running. My parents wouldn't question the silence, probably only embrace the fact that it was quiet. _**

**_I smiled, gripping my notebook in my hand, while making my way to the park…_**

* * *

**"_What's that smell?" My head snapped up from my notebook for the first time at the park, as smoke was filling the air, and firefighter trucks were heading into town._**

**_I swallowed the lump in my throat, curiosity overcoming me. I decided to close my book for the day, and head toward this fire. I had received enough ideas and wrote plenty, so much that my hand was sore. _**

**_As I made my way into town, I sped up, realizing that…oh no. _**

**_I dropped my notebook, darting at my legs ability to my house, which was up in flames. My eyes were wide, as I overheard a fireman report, "The two parents are dead, but there's a kid in there. No one can get to him because he's trapped under a bed. It's a shame really, it all started with a candle lit in one of the rooms." _**

**_Oh no. _**

**_It's…It's my fault. _**

**_I didn't listen to the people calling me crazy, yelling at me to stay back, and not to go inside. I've already killed my parents; I can't let Ethan perish too. The moment I stepped into the house, I inhaled smoke, a coughing attack coming over me. So, I did what we learned in school…_**

**_I stopped moving, dropped, and crawled. _**

**"_Ethan!" I screamed, moving around the flames, my vision becoming slightly blurred, but I kept moving, for the sake of my brother._**

**"_Ethan!" I screamed again, as I stood up, taking a chance in doing so, and kicked down the door. _**

**_When I did, I saw my bed, surrounded by flames. I licked my dry lips, shouting, "ETHAN! ETHAN WHERE ARE YOU? ETHAN!" _**

**"_Ewi! Ewi!" I heard Ethan's voice, coming from underneath my bed. Tears streaming down his face, as he continued to cough, wheezing from the smoke. _**

**_I glanced around frantically, trying to find something to stop the flames and get him out of there. There was nothing I could use, everything was up in flames; my closet, my clothes, my desk, my carpet…everything, was on fire._**

**"_Ethan! Ethan just stay calm, alright? I'm going to get you out of there!"I heard him beginning to sob, as I threw off my jacket, getting as much clothes off me as possible so I wouldn't catch on fire, "I-I'm scared Ewi…I'm scared."_**

**"_I know buddy, I know!" I coughed, my lungs filling with smoke. I decided to fuck waiting for the fireman, and fuck trying to find something to put the uncontrollable flames out. I kneeled between Ethan and the flames, shouting, "On three Ethan, I need you to grab my hands! Okay?" _**

**"_I can't see you Ewi! It's too bright and it burns!" Tears were burning my eyes, the thought of losing Ethan was close to impossible. I growled, pushing my hands through the flames, but I completely missed Ethan, not being able to grab him because he was too far underneath the bed. _**

**_The price I paid for not reaching him, a flame to the side of my face._**

**"_Ah! Fuck!" The feeling was indescribable, the pain, the torturous, burning pain. I yelled, the flames embracing me. I heard Ethan scream my name out repeatedly, but I couldn't fight back. I slapped the side of my face, trying to put the flame out, but it just kept burning._**

**"_I got you son," I heard a masculine voice yell; as I felt a pair of strong arms embrace me. I struggled, screaming, "Save my brother! Please! Please save my brother! Not me! PLEASE!" _**

**_But the firefighter ignored me, dragging me out of the house, while throwing me onto the lawn, frantically patting me down. _**

**_The last thing I remembered before blacking out; Ethan's burning body underneath my bed. _**

**_[END OF FLASHBACK]_**

"So, after that I ended up living with a foster family for a while. They were nothing like my family. They didn't want to look at stars with me, and they insulted me for always wearing a mask. One of the kids even hit me because I wouldn't play sports, they claimed that writing was strange," I scoffed, continuing without looking in Clare's eyes, because I didn't want to see her disappointed face, "I ran away. I couldn't take the torment, so I used my money and the money my parents left me, to buy this place. Then, I used my stories to write under the name Ari Gold for local newspapers for money. That money, along with the money from the Stalker Angel Series, allowed me to pay off the house, Morty, and food."

"Eli, what happened to you, to your family, was a tragic accident," Clare whispered, as I turned to her, "Did you not listen to the story? _**I **_left the candle on in my room, _**I**_ told Ethan to stay home, and _**I**_ promised him forever! I broke my promise, I killed my family Clare! I killed them!"

"It was an accident Eli, you didn't purposely leave it lit…it was an accident," she whispered, choking back as a sob. My neck craned to the window, looking out at the dark night, "I'll never forgive myself for it, no matter how many times you try to convince me that it was an accident."

"Eli-," I cut her off, "No, okay Clare…just no. Not even you can make this better. It was what it was."

Silence danced around us, as Clare continued to rub my shaking back, "I-I still…I still hear their voices sometimes. But the scary thing is, it's only them screaming at me, yelling, telling me how much they hate me. But I deserve it, I deserve every word they say."

"No you don't Eli, you don't deserve to be tortured like-," I cut her off, "I had the chance to save my brother Clare! But I couldn't, the fire…the flames were so high, so hot, I couldn't do it! I watched him burn to death Clare, I listened to him scream…"

Clare kneeled in front of me, forcing me to look into her eyes, "I-It wasn't your fault Eli, I don't know how to convince you that it wasn't…"

She sobbed, pulling me into a hug as her body shook, her tears burning my skin. I closed my eyes, snaking my arms around her frame, "T-the voices Clare, the voices go away when you're here…they don't yell at me when you're here."

"I'm not going anywhere Eli," she whispered, kissing the top of my mask.

Bile crept up my throat as she wiped the tears off her face, while whispering in a hushed, but serious tone, "C-can I see your face, Eli?"

"I don't want-," she interrupted me, flashing me her sad blue eyes, "Please Eli, please."

Instead of fighting her, I gave into her.

She's listened to my story so far, and hasn't made a mad dash for the doors, or jumped out the window like the lion in _The Wizard of Oz_.

_**She stayed, and she listened.**_

"When I take the mask off, you have to promise me not to scream…or run away," I begged, giving her a fair warning. She smiled, tracing the outline of my face, "I would never."

My eyes glare at her actions, watching her every move as she slowly pulls the mask off my face. The moment she lifts off my mask, the cool air hitting my face, she does something that I thought would never happen.

She took one good look at me, tossing the mask to the side of our bodies, and she kissed my scar.

Her warm, soft lips pressed against my scar on the side of my face. I watched while she pulled back for a brief moment, to whisper, "You have the most perfect face I've ever seen in my entire life."

**END OF CHAPTER 14**

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	15. The Worst Of Me, The Best Of You

**Author's Note From TurboWiz70: **Sorry everyone that we didn't update yesterday! The time just got away from us, I guess. Any who, thank you EVERYONE for your reviews, subscriptions, adding to favorites, etc. It means the world to us! I hope you enjoy this next chapter of "Trespasser"! Read, review, enjoy!

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**Trespasser shall go to 25 chapters maximum, give or take. **

* * *

**_Trespasser_**

**_Chapter Fifteen: The Worst Of Me, The Best Of You_**

**ELI'S POV**

I don't remember how long it has been since I felt this way. It was very strange at first, considering the feeling was so unfamiliar to me, but it grew on me and I easily adjusted to it.

I felt warmth…I felt security…I felt love.

It was all because of Clare. I've told her about my past and she's seen my face and she doesn't think any less of me. She's accepted me into her life and hasn't tried to leave or push me away…_**not** once._

I now know once and for all that I could trust Clare; it was comforting to have someone in the world that you could confide in and tell your secrets to. I had not known what it was like to be this close with someone since Ethan and my parents, so it is a bit painful knowing that she is now the only one. I missed them like crazy, more and more every day, but I know that there was nothing to be done to bring them back.

People come and go, it's the circle of life, and yet, many humans suffer from the classic struggle of accepting that fact.

_**Including me. **_

* * *

It was now mid-October; the leaves had fallen from the trees and the sun was going away sooner in the day. Clare has been living with me for a bit more than a month now and I can honestly say that I have enjoyed her company. I had given up on wearing the mask all the time since there was no longer a reason to wear it around the house. She and I were now eating breakfast in the dining room and I could not help but catch her glancing at me every now and then. I smirked when I caught her doing it for the sixth time in less than ten minutes.

"I know I'm sexy and everything, but you don't have to keep gawking at my awesomeness," I jested.

"Sorry," she apologized, and I noticed her blush as she turned her attention to the toast on her plate. "I'm still trying to get used to you without the mask."

"Well, in that case, stare away."

Sadly, she was too embarrassed to do anymore observing of the face. We sat there quietly for a while, exchanging a couple of smiles every so often until Clare broke the silence.

"What were they like? Your family?" she asked, out of the blue.

My heart turned to rock and stomach twisted uncomfortably. I tried to not talk about Ethan or my parents because it was too painful. The guilt, ache, and longing returned every time I heard their voices, heard their names, or saw their pictures, so it was a bit difficult for me.

"Um…do we have to talk about them?" I said, avoiding her eyes. To anyone else listening in on our conversation that probably sounded horrible and I wouldn't care, but I wanted Clare to understand.

"I just…I don't…they're still not…I know it's been years, but…it's still hard to think about them."

She put her hand over mine. Surprised by her touch, I turned my eyes to her and met her blue irises. They were full of care, comfort, want, and patience.

"It's alright to talk about them, Eli," she soothed me, keeping her hand over mine.

"I know, but…then I start to miss them and then I start thinking about what happened and –."

I broke off, already reflecting on the hellish memories that have plagued me ever since _**that day**_. I don't breathe for a while and that's when Clare squeezes my hand. She stares into my soul, determined to get through to me somehow.

"They wouldn't blame you, you know," she said, reading the guilt that I did not voice.

"Who else do they have to blame?" I asked.

"It was an accident," she restated for the tenth time since I told her about that night. "Nothing more."

I then squeeze her hand tighter, her words sinking in more and more each time she said them to me.

"I just…I miss them **_so_ **much."

"I know," her tone comforting, while she smoothed her thumb over the back of my hand. "But they would want to know that you're doing okay and thinking about them. And I know it's not the same, but I miss my sister all the time."

I had learned about her family history and how her sister now lived in Kenya with her boyfriend, Peter. I felt great sympathy for her. It allowed me to see that she had been through more hardship than what I'd seen recently. She was in tears by the time she explained it to me, but I was there for her just how she was there for me on the night I confessed _everything_ to her.

"Before our parents got divorced, we used to go skiing a lot, but she and I didn't look forward to the adrenaline rush or the view of the mountains. Darcy and I always sat in the lodge at night when it was empty, drank hot chocolate, and just hung out. It was really nice."

"You must miss doing that," I said, the feeling being all too familiar to me.

"Yeah," she nodded.

I was always interested in hearing about Clare's life; her childhood may not have been exactly normal, but it was more stable than mine. And, since she opened up to me about that part of her past, it was only fair of me to return the favor.

"I remember, when Ethan and I were kids, we always made a fort in the living room out of chairs and blankets. It wasn't anything big, considering we always ended up sleeping in our rooms instead of in the fort like we said we would, but we played games and told stories and everything until we got tired."

She smiled.

"He would always fall asleep first...with his head on my shoulder. I'd tell him his bed time story, cause' I knew he could still hear me. H-He used to pretend to sleep at first, but then fall asleep pretending..."

I smirked, tears forming in my eyes at the blissful memory.

"It sounds like you guys had fun."

"We did…I just wish we could just have one more night like that."

She held my hand even tighter.

"At least you still have those memories."

"Yeah," I agreed. "That's better than nothing, right?"

"Exactly," she nodded.

I reflected back to the many nights Ethan and I built our forts and how the blankets would constantly fall on top of us and then we'd accidentally knock it all done when we wrestled (and by that, I mean letting him win since he was so much smaller than me).

"Are you okay?" she asked kindly.

I nodded, truth showing in my eyes.

"But, enough of this reminiscing; Degrassi awaits us," I declared, rising from the table and her following my lead.

As we grab our bags and head towards the door, I pull the mask over my face. When I did, I noticed the sad glint in her eyes.

"What's the matter?" I ask.

"Why do you keep wearing the mask whenever you leave the house?"

"Uh, my face kind of answers that question for you," I said.

"You don't have anything to be ashamed of. And it's not bad or anything."

"I'm already known as the freak of Degrassi; the last thing I want is to give them another reason to call me that."

"You aren't a freak, Eli."

"You're one of the only people who thinks that," I informed her. "Look, I may stop wearing it someday, but not right now."

She sighed, clearly surrendering, as we walked out of the house.

"You can't hide behind it forever, Eli," she retorted, a slightly venomous tone to her voice as we journeyed towards Morty.

"We'll just have to see, won't we," I stated, ending the conversation there.

* * *

**FITZ'S POV**

Owen and I were smoking our cigarettes on the side of the school; the jackass forgot to bring the good stuff, so he bought these things instead. Not as good as the bong, but still enough to get me through a school day.

"That's it," Owen sighed contently, before whistling out some smoke.

I nod in agreement and look at the front of the school; I see Clare and Eli sitting at a picnic table. She was smiling as she talked to him, both of them looking at a notebook in the center of the table.

"I don't get it," I complained. "We kiss and she goes to see the freaking therapist, but she's still hanging around with the masked kid. I mean, what the hell is going on here?"

"Maybe she loves him," Owen suggested.

"No, really?" I snapped sarcastically.

"I think you need to come up with a new approach if you want Clare to come home and crawling into your arms."

"How so?" I asked curiously, before inhaling the sweet nicotine.

"Go after the other piece of the equation. Instead of trying to get to Clare, get to the freak."

"I don't follow," I state.

"Talk to Goldsworthy and convince him to send Clare back home."

"Me? Talk to the freak? Are you out of your freaking mind?"

"I don't know," he says honestly, gazing at the pack of cigarettes, "Just give it a try."

I inhaled a bit more, musing over my friend's idea. Could it work? Would talking the freak really lead Clare back to me?

There was only one way to find out…

* * *

**ELI'S POV**

I sat there, waiting patiently for Clare to get finished with newspaper so we could go home. To pass the time, I pulled out my notebook and continued writing the next volume of _Stalker Angel. _Three-fourths of the hour was almost up and I had almost finished when I had an unwelcomed visitor.

"Hey, freak," Fitz greeted, sitting on the steps next to me.

"Seriously, will it kill you to think of a new comeback?" I asked.

"Why waste my time?" he shrugged.

Not wanting my work to remain in his presence, I put my notebook in my backpack and slid down to steps to get away from Fitz. He followed me, much to my dismay.

"What are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be digging up bodies in a graveyard, sleeping in a coffin, or something like that?" he taunted.

I ignored him, hoping he would leave. But my actions – or lack thereof – just gave him a reason to get down to business.

"Are you and Clare an item now or something?"

I didn't respond, not wanting_** my** _business to become _**his**_ business.

"Hey, can you hear me?" he said. "Are you two a couple now or what?"

"No," I snapped, not wanting him to keep hounding me.

"Good, but you care about her, right?"

_Duh_, I snarled in my head.

"Because, if you do, I know that you would want what's best for her," he continued, digging his hands into the pocket of his hoodie. "And maybe the best thing for her is to be back home with her family."

"What family?" I snapped. "Anyone whose ever stepped foot in that house has treated her like shit, so why would I ask her to go back to that?"

"Because, deep down, you would rather want her with her family than with someone like you," he explained, extracting a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.

He might have thought that he had a point there, but he didn't. If Clare's family loved and actually gave a damn about her, then I would encourage her to go back there. But, considering it was the other way around, if she would rather stay in my house with me, then she's more than welcome. Fitz could not be _**more** _wrong.

I scoffed at his ignorance as he slid a cigarette out of its box.

"Where are my manners? Do you want one?" he asked, offering the pack to me.

"No," I refused.

"Suit yourself," he sighed, putting the tip in his mouth before digging in his pocket for a…

I saw it and my breath got caught in my throat. My hands began to shake. The rest of my body started to tremble vigorously.

Every time I blinked, I saw my family's home in flames; I heard Ethan's voice calling for me.

The lighter in Fitz's hand produced a flame that was only in existence for five seconds at the most, but it was the equilibrium of a million years to me. I could not focus on anything but my past and my fear. A flame had caused so much damage to my life and it could easily do it to me again.

What if it did? Would I be its victim? Would it consume me like it consumed my family?

My heart raced so loud that I couldn't hear the words that I was involuntarily spilling from my lips.

"No…no, no, no," I was muttering.

"What the hell are you going 'no' for?" Fitz demanded, taking a long drag on his cigarette.

I did not even notice that the small flame had disappeared and that I was gazing at a closed lighter. They did not exist in reality right now, but they were still extremely vivid in my head. I could practically feel the heat of the fire.

"No, no, no," I accidentally kept saying, not being able to stop.

Fitz averted his gaze from me now, to see what I was looking at. He smirked down at the lighter that was still in my hand.

"What's the matter freak? Scared of a little fire?"

* * *

**CLARE'S POV**

I was _so _glad when my newspaper meeting was over. I love it, don't get me wrong, but it had been a long day of tests and work and all I wanted was to get back to Eli's; he's been wanting me to look over his next addition of _Stalker Angel_ and that was going to make my whole day better.

The second I exited the school, however, I forgot all about my bad day. I was witnessing Fitz harassing someone with an ignited lighter…someone with a mask.

"_ELI_!"

I sprint down the steps, loathing Fitz with every fiber of my being. Eli was writhing on the concrete as Fitz pinned his shoulder to the ground and kept thrusting the lighter towards his face. He was cackling while Eli was there, gasping for release. He was trying to escape, but Fitz was stronger in this time.

He caught Eli at his weakest moment, and was tormenting him, taking advantage of an innocent person..._again. _

"STOP!" I screamed, running over to him. I tried pulling Fitz's arm to get the lighter away from Eli.

Surprised, he spun around and stood up.

"What the –?"

Taking advantage of his surprise, I snatched the lighter out of his hand before throwing it on the ground. To be sure it would never light again, I stomped on it, causing the liquid to spill to the ground and for the top of it to detach itself from the rest of it. I then put my foot onto it again and grounded it against the concrete until it was nothing but plastic, a bit of metal, and gas.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Fitz screeched, seeing the remains of his precious lighter.

"Go away!" I yelled at him.

"Excuse me?" he asked, amazed that I had the balls to talk to him that way.

"You heard me! Beat it!"

"And what are you going –?"

"GET OUT OF HERE FITZ! I MEAN IT" I screamed, causing a few birds in the trees to fly away.

I'm not sure if it was my voice or the fear that people would come to investigate that got to Fitz, but he soon began moving away from Eli and at a fast pace. I watched him until he left Degrassi, and then I turned my attention back to Eli. He was lying in the fetal position and I quickly got down on my knees next to him.

"Are you okay?" I asked worriedly.

I did not get an audible response from him; all I heard were gasps of air and light sobbing coming from behind his mask.

"Eli, talk to me. Are you okay?"

"The flame," I heard him mutter over and over again. "The flame, the flame, the flame."

"Shhh," I eased, rubbing his back soothingly. "It's over, don't worry."

I heard him a take a shaky breath and a small sob before he speaks again.

"T-The flames," he stutters. "E-Ever since the…t-the fire…I've always been…and I…"

"It's okay," I eased him.

"N-No," he protested. "I can't…it's stupid that –."

"No, it's not, Eli," I promised him. "It's completely rational."

I knelt next to him for a couple more minutes, my heart breaking from seeing him so distraught.

"Do you want to go home?" I asked him, gently raking my fingers through his dark hair.

I saw him nod before helping him to his feet; he was shaking the whole time as I walked him to Morty. Seeing that he was in no shape to drive, I asked for the keys. I expected a protest, but he handed them over immediately. I helped him into the passenger seat before moving over to the driver's side. I kept glancing over to him and noticed him quivering. I wanted to take him in my arms, but I had to keep both hands on the wheel. I took the quickest route to his house and I was relieved when we finally got him there. I helped him out of Morty and led him to the mansion and straight to the living room.

We were sitting on the couch, when I gently eased him onto his side until his head was resting in my lap.

"I-I can still hear his screams."

"Breathe, Eli," I instructed. "In and out, easy does it."

He heeded my advice and repeatedly inhaled and exhaled. Once I was sure he was calm enough, I carefully removed the mask from his face.

"No! Don't let anyone see me!" he demanded hysterically.

"Shhh, it's just us," I whispered, stroking his cheek with my fingertips. "No one else is here. It's just you and me."

He nodded, seeing that I was correct.

"I-I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for, Eli," I told him, gently caressing his hair.

He lied there quietly in my lap for a second, one tear coming to his cheek. Once it was gone from sight and mind, he kept his eyes away from me, but talked kindly to me.

"Thank you," he breathed. "You know, for getting rid of Fitz and everything."

"Don't mention it," I said softly.

I stayed there with him as he calmed down. Over the next fifteen minutes, I massaged his back as he breathed and shed a couple of tears. I don't blame him for being so shaken; if I was in his shoes, I probably would've been acting the same way.

"Can I be honest with you?"

"Always," I answered. I heard him take many deep breaths before he spoke to me.

"I-I haven't really let anyone _**in**_ outside my family and…you're the first person I've felt close to in a long time. You don't even know how happy that makes me, since I haven't been happy in a long time. I'm just…really grateful that you haven't left or anything. That means so much to me. And…I don't know how to thank you for that."

"You don't have to thank me, Eli," I said to him gently.

"I want to. So…would you mind if we…went out sometime? You know, to dinner or something?"

My face broke into a smile instantly at the invitation. I'm not certain if this was an actual date, two friends hanging out, or something completely different, but I don't care. As long as I would have this time with Eli, I would be more than thrilled.

"I would love that," I answer, before giving his cheek a gentle kiss.

**END OF CHAPTER 13**

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**We know you guys want double updates, and longer chapters, and we love this story, but we can't update twice a week. Sorry for the inconvience to some readers, but we really can't. Fanfiction shouldn't even have scheduled updates, so please, just bear with us on this. We'll try to make each chapter as long, and as quickly updated as we can for our many readers. ****We really appreciate all the feedback, and for everyone who reads this story, we appreciate it greatly! **

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	16. Tearing Down The Broken

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* * *

**_Trespasser_  
**

**_Chapter Sixteen: Tearing Down The Broken_**

**CLARE**

After a strenuous school day yesterday, Eli and I both agreed we weren't up to par for learning today. Instead, we decided to take a mental health day to catch up and get ahead on some work.

So here I sat, in Eli's guest bedroom, writing.

I know I told myself I was staying home strictly for school reasons, but I couldn't help but take a quick…two hour break of homework. I needed to clear my head after what happened with Fitz and Eli yesterday; the stress was definitely adding up, but it was worth it, because Eli was worth it.

I glanced down at the last few sentences of my writing, a smile creeping up on my lips…

_Clare didn't know how to describe him, he was mysterious, rough yet gentle, crazed yet calm, odd but normal, and beautiful but hideous. _

_This is why she was so strongly attracted to him. _

_She didn't know what to expect, and the thrill alone sent her into a sexual frenzy. From the moment she saw his actual face hidden behind his mask, she knew that she had emotionally committed to this person. _

_The way her stomach exploded with butterflies when he kissed her, and the indescribable feeling that can shake her from a horrid nightmare when he hugs her, is enough to make her want to live again._

_Life didn't seem so clear a few months ago, but now, she can see clearly now…the rain is gone, only to be replaced by a subtle sunlight, shining upon her. _

_There is no way to go but up, from now on. _

"Hey Clare," my head snapped up quickly from the sound of Eli's voice echoing the silent room, "Yeah? What's up?"

The heat rushed to my cheeks when I realized Eli was dressed in his usual black attire, topped off with no mask. This meant his mood wasn't frazzled like yesterday, but he was at sea level with his emotions, and calm enough to trust me.

"Could I…um, can I borrow you in my room for a couple of hours?" I glanced down at my writing, as I heard the door creek open fully, Eli standing at the foot of the bed, "I-I mean, if you're in the middle of something, I totally get it."

"No," I cleared my throat, my voice sounding hoarse, "I wasn't doing anything. Just give me one minute, and then I'll be your girl for a couple of hours."

Eli smirked, mumbling a "great" before disappearing to his room.

I brushed my hair, making sure my once frizzy curls were evened out and presentable for Eli. I tugged my undershirt down, while pulling it back up to cover up the much noticeable cleavage.

As I made my way into Eli's room, I knocked on the door before entering, as I heard Eli groan, "Come in."

When I entered the room, I noticed Eli bending down near the shade, roughly tugging at it. My eyes widened when he ripped off the piece of wood that usually blocked the sunlight from coming into his room.

"Eli, what's wrong? Why are you doing this?" I asked nervously, as he turned to me, and smiled, "It's a new day today, and a new day deserves some sunlight."

My heart warmed at this side of Eli.

He was opening up, not wearing the mask, and letting actual sunlight into his own room. I was shocked to see this side of him, but at the same time, beyond the word proud of him.

"Your room looks lighter with some sunlight, I like it," I commented, finally being able to eye his black bed sheets, which matched his black pillow case and dark purple blanket with crossbones.

"Thanks, much appreciated. Now, if you will, please take a seat on my bed…and get as comfortable as you can," he ordered in a soft tone, as I nervously walked to his bed, my legs feeling similar to jello.

"Eli, I'm not ready for sex or-," he scoffed, placing his hand on my waist, and gently lowering me down onto the clear bed, "I don't want sex from you Clare. Although one day, hopefully down the road, I'll be able to make sweet, sweet love to you on our honeymoon?"

I cocked my eyebrows up as my bare thighs came in contact with the cozy blanket, "Way to be blunt, Goldsworthy."

"Eh, I mean, I don't know any other way to put it," he smirked, while I toyed with the end of my pajama shorts. Eli pulled up a chair across from me, our knees touching, as he placed his hand underneath my chin, forcing my head up, "I need you to look me in the eyes, don't take them off me."

"Eli, what is this for?" I noted an enlarged sketchbook on his lap, and a pencil gripped tightly in his right hand. He smirked, and my heart raced, my cheeks probably looking similar to a tomato, "Well, I believe my readers deserve a visual of the 'oh so beautiful' Clara, don't they?"

I took a deep breath, trying to keep my posture straight, as Eli placed his cold hand on my jaw, and rubbed his fingers over my chin lightly, "Relax your face Clare, you're beautiful when you're not holding it all in."

"O-okay," I stuttered, relaxing my face like he told me.

He smiled widely, "There's my perfect Clare."

* * *

"All done."

"Oh let me see it! Please oh please let me see it!" I squealed like a child, trying to get the sketchbook out of Eli's hand but he held it above his head. I glared him down playfully, and asked, "Is that a challenge?"

"A challenge, a precaution, whatever you want to call it," he smirked, and I crawled into his lap, trying to reach for the book. It danced teasingly above my head, as I placed my hand on his chest, trying to reach higher for the book.

"Not that I'm complaining, Edwards, but you're not going to get to see the picture until it's in the next volume. I know you're anxious, but if you're a real reader of my _Stalker Angel_ series, then you'll be patient," I scoffed, looking at him, "A real reader? I can restate all of your volumes by heart, even the editors, page divider and book copier people."

I covered my mouth, humiliated that I knew all this stuff about Eli and beyond, "You know the page divider person? Kinky stuff Edwards."

A growl escaped my lips, as I pushed the chair forward, causing both of us to topple to the floor, Eli landing above me. His lips were inches away from mine, as I was practically swallowing his breath. He smirked, and my heart melted, "You know, you're really beautiful…no matter where I put you."

"Oh, so am I a trophy now?" I joked, as he cupped my cheek with his chilled hand, "If you were a trophy, you'd be the shiniest one in the world."

"Shiniest?" I teased.

He nodded slowly, inches away from my lips, when my stomach had other ideas, a loud growl filling the room.

I startled Eli, pushing his chest away from me, "Oh my gosh, that's so embarrassing! I'm so sorry, I only ate cereal like eight hours ago, and all this drawing, I'm so sorry…"

He chuckled, "It's fine Clare, I should've thought to take a break."

Eli glanced over at the clock in the corner of his room, scratched his head, and looked at me, "Well, it looks like it's perfect time for that dinner date I promised you. We can go out to eat, anywhere you like."

I smiled eagerly, and ran into my room, as Eli called out, "I'll be outside Clare, take your time!"

My eyes narrowed in on my clothes, while I rummaged frantically through the drawers. My hands weren't working fast enough, as I laid six outfits on the bed before me. I bit back my bottom lip, trying to choice which one Eli would like the most on me.

To say I was falling hard for the new and improved non-mask wearing Eli, would be a goddamn understatement. It seems as if when the mask is off, his personality and mood is lighter. He's always smiling, and it's terribly contagious; worse than the chicken pox.

A blush crept up on my face as I slipped into the flower dress outfit I decided to wear, when I remembered how I was actually sitting in his lap, and then he was towering over me like the freaking leaning tower of Pisa! I smiled, touching my lips briefly, reminiscing over how close our lips were to touching.

I slipped on a pair of flats, and applied light lip gloss. I smiled, talking to myself in the mirror, "This is the start to your new beginning Clare, now don't fuck it up."

I trotted up the steps, a smile on my face as I skipped to the front door, eyeing how Eli had pulled out all of the shades, the sunlight taking over the house.

_**Things were finally looking up for me. **_

My smile soon faded when I came face to face with Eli, who had his face hidden behind the mask, while leaning against Morty. Tears formed in the brims of my eyes, as I swallowed the lump in my throat. That tiny gesture from Eli made me realize that he will never be able to let go of his past, and he will never stop hiding his face.

Eli held out his hand, and asked softly, "Come on Edwards, ready for our date?"

I glanced before his hand and his eyes behind the mask, unsure of what to do. If I grab his hand, I know it's forever, but is my forever to him good enough to help him let go of his unbearably haunting past?

Staring at his mask, I knew the answer was clear...my forever wasn't enough.

* * *

**ELI'S POV**

I led her to the hearse, opened the door for her, and she climbed in without a sound. Her face was not smiling like before, which worried me a little. She could just be nervous; yeah, that's probably it. It is, technically, our first date. That would explain it.

Brushing it off, I climbed into the car and started the engine.

"Ready?" I asked her.

"Sure," she answered softly.

I began driving, and as we began to spark conversation, the happier she seemed to become. I soon saw her smile and heard her laugh again; that quickly made me see that this date was going to be perfect…yeah, that's what I thought.

We parked outside of the best Italian restaurant in town, which I was able to afford thanks to_ Stalker Angel_. I rushed open to the other side to get the door for Clare, ignoring all the stares people were already giving me. I took her hand and guided her out of the hearse; we were about to enter to begin a great night when…

"Hello, you lovebirds."

We turned around and saw Fitz standing near the entrance, with his hands in his pockets. I turn red under my mask, still angry for what he'd done to me and Clare.

"Fitz," Clare said only to be civil. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just in the neighborhood," he shrugged.

Not wishing to remain in his eyesight for another second, I held onto Clare's hand and I began to go towards the restaurant.

"What's the rush?" he scoffed, "Can't we just have small chat?"

"No," I say, practically dragging Clare.

"Seriously, hold up for a sec," Fitz endeavored. Clare then stopped in her tracks and I groaned since I did not want to actually pull her inside. Having no choice, I turned to Fitz. "Look, I'm sorry about the whole fire incident yesterday and everything."

He was apologizing; that is so un-Fitz-like that it's not even funny. Was this something to try and take Clare away from me and keep her for himself? I did not know, but I was going to give him the best message I could to show him that she was _not _interested.

I put my arms around Clare's waist, glaring at Fitz.

* * *

**CLARE'S POV**

"Apology not accepted," he growled at him.

That was not a huge surprise, but I had to say that I was not pleased by the way he was holding me like this. I knew he was probably threatened since Fitz was apologizing for yesterday and that made me see a bit of good in him, but would he believe that I would actually go to him because of that? The way he was holding me right now made me feel like I something that belonged to him, like a child with a toy or a lion with a zebra carcass.

"Fine," Fitz shrugged before turning to me. "Clare, your mom's really upset."

"What?" I say.

"Yeah, she's been crying herself to sleep every night since you left; and she's really worried about you."

"She is?" I asked. My mom was actually concerned? Although I did feel a bit bad for making her feel that way, I felt a bit warm inside knowing that she did care about me in some way.

"She's talking about you nonstop. It's always 'I miss Clare', 'I wish Clare would come home', 'I hope Clare's alright'."

My stomach turned, trying not to smile.

"And, if you ever want to come back home, the door is always open for you."

I could not believe my ears, but the image of my mom racing to the door because she was so pleased to see me came through my head.

"I –," I began.

"Well, you can close that door. She'd rather be with me than live under the roof of a blind mother and a future rapist," Eli spat, not giving me that chance to speak for myself.

"Eli," I attempted to complain.

"It's okay, Clare," Fitz said. "He's just being protective. I was just letting you know. But, when Eli can finally let you go, I'll see you at home."

Without another word, he turned around and walk away from the restaurant.

"Come on," Eli ordered, taking his arms away from me and grabbing my hand. I was shocked by what Fitz said, so I could almost disregard everything Eli did…_**almost.**_

* * *

"I can't believe he was here," he said, once we finally got our table, "Why was he here anyway? Do you think he's been following us?"

"I doubt it," I answered. "It's probably coincidence."

"Don't be naïve," his voice was venomous, even through the mask.

"I just don't see how he knew we were coming here," I stated.

He was at a loss for words and he sat there, trying to put this behind him, but it was soon clear that he could not.

"Can you be honest with me?"

"Sure," I answered, bracing myself for the question-since it could be anything, knowing Eli.

"Are you going to go back to your mom?"

His voiced was heavy, obviously worried that I will actually leave him.

"Not any time soon," I whispered, being honest with my reply.

"But eventually?" he asked, the green shine in his eyes fading away.

**_I could do nothing but shrug._**

"It depends if everything gets better. I mean, if Fitz is telling the truth, then maybe we can reconnect and things could get better. But I'm not going back until I know things are going to change…so I won't be going anywhere for a while."

"Promise?" he asked, desperation in his voice.

I nodded my head eagerly, forcing a smile.

"Alright," he sighed in relief. "I'm glad we're at that stage that we can be open and honest now."

"Me too," I lied through my teeth.

"I mean, I know it took me forever to tell you about my past and everything, but I'm happy that I can tell you now."

I sighed, guilt falling on top of me like a meteor striking the Earth. Then I realized he was honest with me. Sure, he didn't tell me the story at first, but there's a difference between not being ready to tell the truth and lying.

Eli was never a liar…I was.

I reflected back to the night when I was forced to see that therapist and how she was under the idea that Eli had raped me. I told Eli that my dad had just upset me and then he promised that he would be there for me.

I felt so low and disgusting; but I would not bring it up here. Yes, another lie to add to my list, but I did not want to ruin our first date if I could avoid it.

We talked over dinner, which would've been more pleasant if it wasn't for the thoughts that plagued the back of my mind. We talked about music, movies, his writing, and everything that could connect the dots between them. Eli talked for the most part, but it was only because I let him. Hearing him speak kept me focus on anything other than what was in my head.

* * *

**ELI'S POV**

We stayed there for hours and hours; it was closing time by the time our waiter came and informed us that we had to leave. We left the restaurant and headed towards the parking lot, which was practically deserted since we were the last customers to leave.

We walked side-by-side when I felt a bad vibe coming from Clare. Something had been off about her all night, but it had increased more and more throughout the night. I would've asked her, but I knew she would not answer. Only after we left the restaurant and when I knew that I could not keep it to myself anymore, I asked, "Clare, are you okay?"

* * *

**CLARE'S POV**

"Yeah," I lied.

Damn, will they ever stop coming to my lips?

"Are you sure? You look really spaced out?"

"I'm fine," I said more forcefully, walking towards Morty at a faster pace. I climbed into the hearse and took a breath to keep myself calm. I felt nauseous and I was startled when Eli climbed in on his side.

"Easy, easy," he cooed, after I let out the small shriek that I made when he closed his door. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I am fine, Eli, alright?"

He did not believe me and kept pressing the subject.

"Is it Fitz?"

"No."

"Your mom?"

"No."

"Is it –?"

"It's nothing, Eli."

"There has to be a something for it to be a nothing," he mentioned. I groaned, annoyed that he was not letting it go. "Clare, you can tell me. What's wrong?"

I was cornered. He was not going to let me go until he knew the truth…and the truth is what he deserved. I took a breath, but it refused to fill my lungs. It was as if a ten-pound weight was sitting on my chest, forcing me not to breathe. I swallowed before facing him.

"When I went to see my dad…I told you that he made me upset. But…he wasn't even there."

"What? What do you mean he wasn't there? Where were you?"

"I was at a therapist's office," I confessed, tears stinging my eyes. "My mom, Nick, and Fitz told her that I was raped."

"By me?" he assumed.

I nodded. I told him what we talked about; I told him what they said, what the therapist said, and what I said. Once I was done, a few tears were going down my face and Eli was looking forward. He was gazing out the windshield and we were silent for several minutes. It was tense in the car and I did all I could to not scream out just to kill the silence.

At long last, he turned to me, fire in his emerald eyes.

"Once we get back, I want you to pack your bags. I want you to get the hell out, and don't ever come back. Do you hear me?"

And just like that, the very life I earned was taken from me.

**END OF CHAPTER 16**

* * *

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_**P.S. I will be away from July 7th-July14th, which means no updating for a week. No, I do not know when the next chapter will be up so just bear with the wait for now! Sorry, but vacation was a must and I'm isolating myself from FF/Twitter/Emails! I hope everyone has a good week :)**_


	17. Lack Of Communication Can Kill

**Author's Note From TurboWiz70: **Thank you all for your constant support, reviews, and criticisms. All feedback is highly appreciated. Sorry that we haven't updated in a while, but we're back now and ready to roll. Read, review, enjoy!

**Author's Note From The Cliffhanger Girl:** Thanks for the reviews and reading! This story will be coming to an end soon *insert cries* but it will end in the right time span. Love you guys! With vacation and all, we're behind on updates so please be patient...

* * *

**_Trespasser_**

**_Chapter Seventeen: Lack Of Communication Can Kill_**

**ELI**

I stare at her, wondering why she isn't fighting me, why she isn't yelling, or crying. Her body is still, her face emotionless. To answer my order, she just nodded, not a word being said or a tear being shed.

Her body expression and wordless response make sense to me now, she doesn't care-she never did.

If she really cared about me, about what I thought we have, she'd fight for our love. She wouldn't sit here and act like our kisses, me opening up to her like I did, was nothing. But alas, here I have a statue-like Clare that represents what I never actually had.

Here I was, thinking that if I open up to this girl, everything will be okay, and she'll never leave me. I was fooled into believing that she would love me, that she would care, and she'd support me. People beg you to open up, and when they finally hear the truth, all hope is lost.

_I should've known. _

Who would've known she was a liar, and a good one at that?

* * *

I watch expressionlessly as she throws heaps of the clothes I bought her with my own, goddamn money into her suitcase, shoving her necessities into the bag. A tear almost slips through the cracks of my eyelids, thinking about how lonely it'll be again in this house. But I hold my composure, knowing I'd just be showing her how weak I am.

"Are you almost done? I'd like to get on with my life," I hiss.

She stops what she's doing, glares at me for a moment, and then shakes her head, proceeding back to packing.

I glare intently at her as she slings her bag over her shoulder, and rams into my shoulder roughly on the way out, while spitting venomously, "Thanks for nothing."

When she slams the front door, I am suffocated by the silence.

The only thing that can be heard is my heart beating out of my chest and the rapid fluttering thuds in my earlobes. I swallow the lump in my throat, glancing down at one of Clare's hair ties that she must've left behind.

"Bitch," I mutter, kicking the tiny object into the corner, where the pitiful darkness captured it.

My eyes go wild as the voices surround me, and I can only laugh, knowing the second Clare left…the _voices _came back.

"_**Told you she'd leave, it was only a matter of time!" **_

"_**Let her live her life, you only trapped her in here for your own pleasure!" **_

"_**Boy did that girl hate you kiddo, good thing it's back to normal around here."**_

"_**I'm sure if you were burning underneath a bed she'd laugh at you and save herself!" **_

"_**Knock Knock!"**_

"_**Who's there?"**_

"_**Nobody, because everyone hates Eli!"**_

* * *

**TWO WEEKS LATER**

* * *

**CLARE**

With Eli continuously skipping English class for the past two weeks, we've managed to successfully avoid each other. Of course I had to step up and be the bigger person in this situation, handing in _**our **_assignments on time.

The longer we didn't see each other, the easier it was to convince myself that I never meant anything to Eli. He never cared like he said he did, he never liked me like he told me he did, and he never wanted me around, like he begged me to be.

Eli had gone weeks on end without telling me about his past, and I tell him one, tiny little white lie…and I get the boot. It wasn't fair that he had the privilege to lie about his family but I wasn't allowed to keep one lousy secret from him.

Living at home-surprisingly-hasn't been too bad, considering my mother basically lives at Nick's now, and Fitz spends majority of his time with Owen, smoking his bong. Most of the time I'm staring at my four walls, and every so often I'll glance over to my balcony, guiltily wishing that there would be a tiny, heart shaped pebble with a note underneath it.

It's hard to move on from something-someone who did this to me, someone who emotionally captured my heart and mind this intensely that it hurts to not talk to him every waking moment of everyday. It pains me to think about how I have to live through the next day without seeing his masked face, or crooked smirk when he takes the mask off.

No matter how strange we were, we were…something.

_At least I thought so._

* * *

**ELI**

"_To Elijah Goldsworthy,_

_Your latest edition of Stalker Angel has been accepted and will be printed out shortly. Expect to see copies in your local book stores by Monday morning. Your ratings have been going up drastically and we enjoy publishing your work. Please keep your volumes coming; the readers are addicted. Fabulous, outstanding work as usual…and the visual of Clara was magnificent._

_-Editor and Publisher, Mark Smith_

"Guess all that hard work and re-editing paid off, didn't it Snowball?" I smirked at the picture of me and my old pet when I was four years old. I traced the outline of the frame, and whispered, "Good boy Snowball…I knew you'd love the edited version too. My new and improved Clara was way better than the original."

These past two weeks have been very eventful; I've managed to successfully ignore the person who ruined my life and get my writing career back on track. The only thing Clare was…was a distraction…a beautiful, heartwarming-.

"No, she was a cold hearted bitch and a goddamn distraction!" I nodded to myself, trying to convince my mind of the difference between reality and fantasies.

Too bad that when it comes down to your heart being stomped on and smashed into a million pieces, you're stuck in the middle, with no options…

* * *

**MONDAY MORNING**

* * *

**THIRD POV**

The new editions were piled up in the book store up to the ceilings, and as minutes passed by, the stacks became lower. Money was thrown left and right, as people fought over the _**Stalker Angel: Volume Four-The Beast within Her Heart**_

Clare bobbed her head to the _**happy**_ music blasting on her IPod, extending through her ears to her head. She smiled, forcing herself to try and be at one with herself. She was done living in the past; Eli was in the past and all she had was the choice of moving on from him.

Just like KC.

"Give me it bitch! That's mine!" Clare turned her head to see Marisol and Jenna, fighting over-what looked like-a _Stalker Angel_ edition.

Immediately, Clare's first thought was to run, to run and never look back. If she bought this edition, it would be a life or death reading. It would show Eli's true feelings for Clare, and that scared her, more than anything.

Reluctantly, Clare rubbed her fingers between the money her mother had given her for being around Fitz the first day they met. She swallowed the lump in her throat, and asked the man behind the counter, "Excuse me, do you have any other _Stalker Angel's_ left?"

"Sorry kid, we just sold the last one."

The man pointed to Marisol and Jenna, whom were fighting intently over the _book._ Clare sighed, knowing this was a piece of cake. Similar to taking candy from a baby.

"Hey Marisol," Clare tapped her shoulder, and the two teens faced her, frustration in their eyes, "Remember how I know about your dirty…little secret? Well, that's about to come out if you don't give me that _Stalker Angel_ edition."

"No way!" Jenna shouted, as Clare glared at her, "I lost my ex-boyfriend to you because you would have sex with him and I wouldn't. So please Jenna, spare me a fucking book that you probably don't even care about."

"You're right," she sighed, and they both released the book, as Marisol turned to Jenna, "We never fight over books…that was stupid. Oh well, at least it passed about five minutes, let's go to school."

Clare's eyes widen at the words in the edition, and her blood boils as she reads further and further into it…

* * *

**CLARE**

I march my way into Degrassi, head held high and tears almost overflowing, but I hold them back-my anger getting the better side of me. When I finally reach Eli, he's standing by his locker with the mask on.

_**Shocker. **_

I tap his shoulder with my index finger, and ask, "Is this your way at getting back at me?"

Eli turned around slowly, facing me, his mask staring me in the face-somewhat mocking me, "What? You don't like my new edition? I believed I portrayed Clara quite well with your personality as an explicit example."

I inhaled sharply, "Okay, let's see if this matches my goddamn personality."

My fingers frantically flipped through the pages, and recited one of my "favorite" lines of his new edition, "Clara was born to live off the heart of young, damaged teenage boys, like Scarred Face. She feeds off the blood, laughing manically as she sucks the life out of him. Love was never an option, for all she ever wanted to do was rip his heart out and spit out the veins attached to his bleeding organ."

Tears were in my eyes, as he shrugs his shoulders, leaning against his locker, "Yes, that sounds just right…"

The needy liquid flows down my cheeks, "How could you do this to me, Eli? What happened to the kiss we had? What happened to how I comforted you when you needed someone? What happened?"

He sighed, as if I was boring him, and then looked me in the eyes, "You did this to yourself Clare, not me."

With that, he begins to walk away from me. I scoff to myself, wiping away the tears, even though it's a pitied attempt since they keep flowing freely to their own accord.

People begin to stare, but I don't care, I only raise my voice louder, so he can _**finally**_ hear me, "I COMFORTED YOU WHEN YOU NEEDED IT! I LISTENED TO YOUR PAST, I FELT BAD FOR YOU! I DID EVERYTHING I COULD TO HELP YOU, AND THIS IS WHAT I GET? I GET THIS!"

I point to the drawing of "Clara", which is a picture of me, with bloodshot blue eyes, a heart in my hand and blood dripping from my lips with a grin on my face.

Everyone stares, mumbling and whispering, as Eli spits out, "I never asked you to do any of that shit, Clare; I never asked you to stick around. You could've left, just like you did. It would've been easier if you did it quicker, but who am I to complain."

His sarcasm had punched me where it hurt, so I jolted towards him, only to feel a pair of arms wrap around my waist roughly. I turned to see Fitz, and I struggle, trying to get my hands wrapped around Eli's goddamn throat!

Eli's staring at me, hurt in his eyes, and I grin, not caring about what I say next…because he never cared anyways. People's eyes are glued to the scene, waiting for someone to say something next, and I decide to take this as an opportunity to show Eli just how much my personality is exactly like Clara's, "You told me you needed me, just like I needed you! Keep trying to live your life out, Eli! Keep wearing the goddamn mask! Keep hiding the truth that you can't face the fact that you killed your entire family! You're a murderer! You're a heartless, cold blooded, masked murderer!"

**END OF CHAPTER 17**

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	18. When You Reach the End of the Rope

**Author's Note From TurboWiz70: **Thank you everyone for all the feedback you have given us! We really appreciate it. Thank you, thank you, thank you EVERYONE! Sorry for the delay (technical difficulties on my end. Ha-ha) Here's the newest chapter. Read, review, enjoy!

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* * *

**_Trespasser_**

**_Chapter Eighteen: When You Reach the End of the Rope_**

**ELI'S POV**

I stood tall, but everything inside me was breaking down at the speed of light. My veins were no longer warm, but ice cold. My heart was beating so hard that it hurt. I had forgotten how to breathe. I had forgotten how to think. I had forgotten everything except the words she had said.

**"_You told me you needed me, just like I needed you! Keep trying to live your life out, Eli! Keep wearing the goddamn mask! Keep hiding the truth that you can't face the fact that you killed your entire family! You're a murderer! You're a heartless, cold blooded, masked murderer!"_**

Every pair of eyes in that hallway was watching me, Clare, and Fitz. She was trying to fight him, but she stopped resisting once she noticed the stares from all around us. They soon stopped watching the frantic girl and the person holding her back; their attention was on the freak in the mask…**_me. _**Whispers and murmurs started and they soon escalated to a low roar.

They surrounded me, and there was no escape.

"_A murderer?"_

"_Is it true?"_

"_It has to be."_

"_It makes sense; everyone says there's something wrong with him."_

"_How can they let him into the school?"_

I had felt like an animal people watch at the zoo ever since I got here, but this was a million times worse. Clare had just revealed this to the world and there was no point in denying it because there was so much truth to it.

You know how they say that things could not get any worse and then they do? Well, this was one of those moments…

I thought that nothing could get any worse; whispers and taunts were drowning me, the girl I was falling in love with had put the knife in my heart, and my secret was known to all of Degrassi. Just when I thought I had reached the deepest circle of hell, I was introduced to the devil…and the devil was Fitz.

"Well, will you look at that everyone?" Fitz said, releasing Clare and looking at everyone in the hallway. "Not only do we have a freak around us, but we have a murderer. I always knew that this guy was no good!"

"Someone tell Principal Simpson!" someone screamed from the crowd.

"It's too late for that!" someone declared.

"He's right!" Fitz agreed.

The next second, a group of football players, various jerks, and Fitz came my way. It was twenty – maybe thirty – against one. I felt myself stepping backwards, fearful of what they would do to me.

I soon found out.

I was shoved against lockers; I was tripped; I was pushed back and forth between people like a toy; I was the target of projectiles and verbal abuse. It was torture and I saw Clare standing there, silent and pale. I turned away from her and continued being assaulted; having physical pain was better than the pain Clare was giving me.

After minutes of hell, I was pushed onto the concrete, my elbows sore because they broke my fall; I refused to turn my back on them for I was afraid of what they could do while I wasn't looking. I got to my feet and walked backwards to my car, seeing a majority of the Degrassi student body on the steps. Many were throwing pencils, pens, paper wads, and the occasional textbook at me; others were giving me the finger and telling me to get the hell away from them before I kill one of them. Then there were the usual names like psycho and freak, but now Fitz was calling me a new name . . .

**_Murderer_.**

I moved as quickly as I could towards Morty, put him into gear, and drove off the campus before it turned into a true riot.

* * *

**CLARE'S POV**

I stood there, not being able to move as I saw the crowd force Eli out of Degrassi. Part of me was telling them to stop it and leave him alone, but I also felt that he deserved it. Conflicted, I just stood by and observed the scene in front of me, hoping that nothing too serious was going on.

Minutes later, the crowd came back into the school, but Eli was not among them.

"It's safe now, Clare," Fitz said to me as he passed by.

That's all I heard for the rest of the day.

People, _strangers_ who couldn't care less about my existence twenty-four hours ago were coming up to me and showing me sympathy. They told me how sorry they were that I had to go through everything with Eli, even though they did not have any idea what had **_really_ **happened.

It soon became apparent that the story of Eli raping me was flying around Degrassi; there was also another story that Eli tried to kill me on more than one occasion. Many then came up to me and suggested that I talked to Miss Sauvé, but I didn't listen to them. Only two people had any idea what had gone on in that house, so no one else had the right to say anything.

Unfortunately, that did not stop them and they kept talking for me for the rest of the day. I got sick and tired of it and spent my last three periods of school in the girl's bathroom, trying not to cry.

I failed.

I cried and cried, only attempting to take control of them when I heard someone coming in.

Once I was certain that I was alone, I would reopen the floodgates and not stop. I was hurt by Eli's interpretation of me, which he had published for the world to see. I was furious that I had still cared since this was supposedly the best thing for us. I just had this medley of various emotions that I did not know how to handle and I just wished to go back in time and never meet Eli.

I was looking through my bag for a tissue since I've used up all the toilet paper in this stall to wipe my tears and blow my nose repeatedly. As I searched, I came across the newest edition of _Stalker Angel_…the one that put a stake in my already fractured heart. It had been in my bag all day, so it wasn't in the best edition like I would've kept it, but I don't care. The voice in my head that was telling me to just put the book away so I wouldn't feel any worse, but I refused to listen to it.

I opened it up and saw the grotesque creature that was me looking back at me. I could not remember feeling so broken. Even after everything with my dad leaving my life, Darcy leaving me, K.C cheating on me, my mom and Nick, and Fitz, this was the lowest of the low.

The dismissal bell rang and I was up on my feet in a second. I quickly left my stall and, as I walked towards the exit of the restroom, I began tearing up the work of the person who had might as well have put me in my grave. I kept crying as I tore it to shreds. Once I was satisfied with the damage I had done to the edition, I stuffed it in the trashcan, never again to see the light of day.

* * *

**ELI'S POV**

_I hate them._

_I hate her._

_I hate everyone._

Blood went through my veins. It was boiling with every ounce of animosity that had taken reign of my body. I was exiled from Degrassi; I despised every soul in that place, especially the ones who forced me out.

Clare was constantly popping up in my mind while I drove. I hated it. I was reminded of the times when I hated her because I wanted her to be a part of me and I believed it would never happen. Now I hated her because she was a part of me and she was now against me.

I drove and drove, furious and devastated. I knew where I was heading; it had been many years since I've gone down this road, but I remembered it well. This was the route that Ethan and I took from school to home. We chased the ice cream truck many times in this neighborhood. He, my parents, and I always took late night walks during the summer on these sidewalks.

_I was home. _

At least, it was home until fire stripped it of its name.

I passed all the familiar houses. I could not help but wonder if any new families resided in these homes or if one of the elderly neighbors was still living and decided not to move away. I knew it was possible that every person from my childhood was gone and that the only proof that it ever existed was in my head.

My heart continuing to race, palms sweating as I approached my old home for the first time in **_so long._** I parked Morty and looked up through clouded, teary eyes.

**_There was no mistaking it . . . this was my home._**

I had never seen this house this way. It was in ruins, nothing remaining except some beams that would've supported the roof and the doorframe that would've led to the living room. They were burned along with all the debris inside.

I climbed out of Morty and walked towards it, my legs turning to lead. Tears were reacquainted with my eyes as I looked at the only ghost of my past that did not exist in my head.

My anger reached it surface as I arrived at the front of the house. There was some rocks at my feet and I scooped one up and I threw it will all my might. It hit a support and I repeated the same action over and over again.

**"_YOU RUINED MY LIFE! YOU MADE ME THIS WAY! IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU I'M LIKE THIS!_"**

Yes, I was yelling at a house, but it was the house that had the past I was ashamed of; I hated it -just like I hated myself.

**"_I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I – HATE – YOU!_"**

I threw the last of the rocks before falling to my knees and crying.

They were right…everyone was right…she was right…I'm a murderer. I killed my parents. I killed my brother. I ruined my life. Everything was my fault. I did not deserve to live. I killed the people I loved most and this was my punishment, but I'd rather be dead than have_ this_ feeling much longer. For years I have been haunted and I learned my lesson the second I found out about their deaths, so how much longer did I have to suffer?

Making up my mind, I went back to Morty, my legs shaking and breath hitching; I was afraid of what I was about to do, but it was what I**_ had_** to do. I drove and drove until I found this place. I had never been here before, but I knew it existed. It was an area away from the town that over-looked the river.

I looked down from the cliff I was standing on. There were sharp rocks and choppy wave yards below me; if I was to fall, it would kill me. It would kill anyone. The abyss below me did not care who it killed as long as it got its victim and I was now ready to give it one.

"Well...this is where everyone wants me, and I think it's time I give people the real, upmost satisfaction," I said to myself, thinking of all the bastards who have hurt me and wanted me dead. This was what they wanted; I'll be doing them a favor by dying and I would be as dead as my family.

Everyone wins.

Clare was in my mind. She would probably cry when I died, but I knew that it would not make a difference; I decided that I could have nothing more to do with her, so this would just make it even more permanent. I expected to feel more anger towards her right now, but I only felt sadness. I caused her pain and torture; she did not deserve that and I gave it to her anyway. I guess bracing yourself for death causes you to think these things.

"I'm sorry for ever hurting you Clare, for bringing you into my mess. But don't worry, my blue eyed beauty, for it will all be over...starting now."

**END OF CHAPTER 18**

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	19. Love Never Dies

**Author's Note From TurboWiz70: **WHOA! You guys are wicked awesome! These reviews and all the support is incredible and Cliffy and I can't thank you enough for it! Now, here's _the _chapter! Read, review, enjoy!

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**Twitter:** TheCliffyG & TurboWiz70

* * *

**_Trespasser_**

**_Chapter Nineteen: Love Never Dies_**

**ELI**

The easy part was thinking about jumping, but the hard part was trying to push myself. My body's humane instinct was to not lean over the edge far enough to a point where I could plummet to my death. But the rough waters and sharp cliff-like rocks sticking out of the surface made the jump all the more appealing.

I smirked, thinking about how story-like my suicide would be.

Perhaps Clare or someone who watches the news of my death can turn it into a famous story. Bet they would make millions too. They can write of how my blood splattered all over the rocks, and how my spine was cracked in half, bones protruding through my skin everywhere.

My nostrils flared slightly as the wind picked up, and I realized I was ready for this. My destiny was here; at my secret spot, on the edge of a cliff.

_This is where it all ends._

I smiled down at the water, my fists clenched, sweat dripping down my back, making my shirt stick to my skin. My eyelids fluttered closed, and I refused to open them, not wanting to know where I will fall.

_**It should be a surprise.**_

Just as I was about to leap out into the air, I heard a soft voice behind me, "…Don't do it."

My neck craned behind me to this confusing sorcery. The voice did not belong to Clare-no, far from it. The voice was masculine with a hint of femininity, which was the only reason it made me turn around.

Unless, I wouldn't still be standing here.

"I know what it feels like…to be alone, to feel lost in your own body," the boy looked odd, different perhaps. He was nothing but a distraction, keeping me from my destiny. I was supposed to jump, my heart's last beat was supposed to be seconds ago…why was he doing this to me?

A stranger, nonetheless.

"Just because you're here, giving me a pity story doesn't mean I'm not going to jump. Unless you're here to record it and put it online, then you can't stay. I can already see the headlines 'Masked rapist/freak/murderer jumps off a cliff-and not one fuck is given'," I scoffed dryly, turning to the boy, "That'd probably get a billion views…"

I turned my body back towards the water, where the waves were crashing loudly against the sharp edged rocks. It all looked so tempting, so desirable. Once again, my thoughts were broken by this boy's voice, "Hate to ask you this now, considering you're obviously in the middle of something extremely important…but when's your next edition of Stalker Angel coming out?"

"Probably never," I whispered honestly.

"Bummer dude…I mean, I really liked volume two, where Ethan sleighed Malcolm's ex-boyfriend because he was abusing her. The way you wrote how the blood spewed everywhere, but Ethan didn't stop until there was no skin left to see…the imagery that you create man, it's powerful shit. You have got rare talent, my friend," the boy kicked some rocks near me, his head gazing upon the floor.

When I didn't respond to him, completely at a loss for words towards one of my "fans", he flashed me a weak smile, "By the way, my name is Adam Torres. People used to call me Gracie, but after reading your volumes I was inspired to not give a fuck like you, and be me…so I now go by the name Adam, all thanks to you."

I cleared my throat, half of my body in shock from how much I had an impact on him. He had a few unshed tears in his eyes, and I suddenly felt like I shouldn't jump anymore. It was as if had a reason to be here, even if Clare didn't want me to be.

"How did you know I was Scarred Face anyways?" I asked, ignoring his sweet comments which were only trying to convince me to rethink my "irrational" decision.

Adam twiddled with his fingers nervously, before saying, "I kind of just…pieced it together I guess. You know, with the mask on and notepad sticking out of your pocket, I just assumed you were you. Sorry if I'm acting a little weird, but this is kind of the best day of my life."

Accidently, my body leaned forward because of the harsh winds, and my footing on the edge slipped. I was standing so tall, and with one knock of wind through my body, I was currently hanging off the cliff. My head tilted to the side, seeing my notepad plummet into the water, never to be seen surfacing again.

My heart raced, reality hitting me…and I suddenly felt like Rose from Titanic.

I was just hanging off the edge, tears streaming down my face, wanting to let go of the branch I was holding onto but at the same time…wanting to hang on for just a little longer.

"W-What are you doing?" I screamed loudly, my voice hoarse as Adam gripped my two hands, and the branch I was holding onto for dear life soared to the bottom of the current.

"Please…P-Please I d-don't know you, you don't know me. Just-Just let me go! This is the push I need, please," I croaked, the beginning stage of the suicide mission coming out. I needed him to let go, to give me approval to leave this retched universe.

"I'm not letting my favorite author die on me! I need to know what happens in the next volume! Clara and Scarred face need to make up or I'll slit your throat myself!" he teased through gritted teeth, obviously struggling with keeping me hanging off the cliff.

"Don't be a fucking baby and let me go," I hissed, anger boiling in my veins.

He was keeping me from my death, and his innocent behavior was slowly making me change my mind. The rush of cold winds overcame my body, goose bumps spreading all over from my fingertips to my toes. My mask stuck to my face with the sticky sweat, "Come on man, just let it go! Please! I'm begging here! LET GO!"

The moment I got my two hands out of Adam's feeble grip, I saw myself in heaven. I was roaming among the angels, floating beside them. My mind was clear, and my head was held high, looking very strong. My complexion wasn't dark and gloomy anymore, no bags beneath my eyes. There was no more worry in my face, no more stress related wrinkles on my forehead.

I looked at peace-for that one moment-anyways.

A familiar husky, irritating voice filled my head, and my two arms were held tightly, not a chance in hell that I'd fall into the depth of the water now, "No freaks are dying on my watch today."

For a second, I thought my eyes were deceiving me.

I was witnessing a dynamic duo before me. Adam's arms were wrapped around Fitz's waist, as they both struggled to get me back on the top of the cliff. I could see the pure gratitude and determination in Fitz's blue eyes, which scared me more than death itself.

When my back slammed down onto the grass land beneath me, rubble mixed into my jacket, along with a couple of rocks. We were all panting on her backs, out of breath and too in shock to move.

**_ My body was numb; numb with pleasure, numb with pain, numb with life._**

"Why would you save me? After what you did, hurting Clare, the rumors, the lies…why would you do that? Why?" I asked, just barely above a whisper.

Fitz always hated me, and I always hated him-but at least I had a reason. He was never, and will never be in my good book, especially after this incident. I wanted to die, I craved it, desired it…needed it. And he ruined that chance for me, he completely tarnished my one dream.

He forced a smile, "Dude, I didn't do it for you. I did it for Clare. After what happened between us, I owed her…big time, and saving you was a good opportunity to repay my debts."

For one, I still didn't believe Fitz, that he means well and he's really a saintly sinner. I glared up at the cloudy sky, waiting for the downpour to occur, "How did you know where I was? No one knew about this place besides me and-."

_Clare. _

Fitz leaned up, as Adam and I's gazes followed his pointer finger, "A little birdie told me."

My body felt extremely drained, emotionally and physically. My mask was stinging my face at this point. The harsh and cold wind was not helping me remove the burning feeling coming from my inner core.

It took all the strength in me to lean up on my forearms, and to look behind me. The moment I did, I was baffled behind belief, and momentarily in shock. There she was, sitting in the driver's seat of Morty, with her head against the steering wheel.

I don't even want to imagine what her face looks like. But if I could assume, it would be distraught, tired, angry looking, and most of all-fed up. Her blue eyes will have tears, I can assure myself that. And if my eyes do not deceive me, I can see her back rising up and down-which means, we've got a bad case of a hysterical Clare on our hands.

Adam, a stranger that I just met, had been staring at me ever since he saw me on the edge of the cliff. His eyes had this look when he saw me, as if I was his last hope, and I saved him. But now, he looks at me with this worrisome glance, and a tightened jaw.

Fitz is in his own world, staring up at the clouds, still trying to catch his breath. I could never read Fitz's expression, and I'm glad I couldn't because it would most likely be disgusting.

Clare must be mad, and beyond_ upset_ at this point. She must be completely distraught. I remember how she was when just the thought of me killing myself had gotten to her. The memory was vivid, the rising chest, the frantic tears, the shaking fingers…

It was all _**too**_ much.

I released a breath that I had been holding in ever since I was hanging off the cliff. My lungs filled with oxygen, burning my esophagus, "I should've jumped when I had the chance."

* * *

**CLARE'S POV**

I breathed in and out, my head reeling with so many thoughts. I saw Fitz and Adam get Eli back to safety, which caused my fear to stop and melt into a medley of many emotions. Eli was alright, but he just attempted to kill himself. He was driven to this point and I knew that it was because of me. For so long, I had been keeping him at bay, but my departure had loaded the gun and my outburst in Degrassi today pulled the trigger.

This was all my fault and I knew it. If I did not keep the truth from him about my father, if I did not leave, and if I did not tell the whole school he was a murderer, this would not have been happening.

My only positive thought? I was just relieved that we weren't too late.

I was so deep in my thoughts that my heart nearly flew out of my chest when I saw Eli climbing into the hearse. I avoided his look and kept my eyes on the steering wheel. He closed the door, and that was the last sound we heard until we were in complete silence. It was unnerving and I had to clasp my hands together so they wouldn't shake. I didn't know what to say, so I stayed silent, giving him no choice but to speak first. I was not sure if he was going to not yell, stay silent, or just talk calmly; it was impossible to tell with Eli.

I expected him to yell while he told me that I had ruined his attempt to commit suicide. To my surprise, however, I heard him take a breath before he turned to me. I saw him out of the corner of my eye, but I refused to meet his eye, especially while I was crying.

"How did you find me?"

I was surprised by how calm his tone was. As his voice reached my ears, tears came to my eyes and came down my face. I swallowed the lump in my throat while looking out the windshield; Fitz and Adam were standing on the cliff, not standing too close to the edge. I kept my eyes on them, forbidding myself to look in Eli's direction.

"Fitz and I went looking for you after school; we asked people if they saw a hearse and they said they saw it come this way."

The silence then settled in while even more tears came down my face. I should have stayed strong and kept my face composed, but I did not see the need. I did not care about my pride anymore and I did not owe a brave front to Eli. However, I hoped that he would overlook my tears. Unfortunately, that did not happen…

"I don't understand why you're crying; I thought this is what you would have wanted," he told me.

"You really think I would want you dead?"

"Well, you told the entire school I was a murderer."

"I didn't want it to go that far," I argued. "I was just hurt that you portrayed me as some kind of monster for the whole world to see."

"I was angry and hurt, Clare; I write to let out my emotions. You can't prevent me from doing something that's a lifestyle for me," his tone was controlling, and he was trying to prove a point that I already understood.

"But I know you based Clara off me; that means you actually see me that way."

"Well, what else am I supposed to think?" he snapped. "You **_lied_ **to me."

"I knew you would be upset if I told you."

"So now you don't think you can tell me anything?"

"No!" I snapped at him, annoyed that he was continuing to make this bigger than it was. "I just didn't want you to go off!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

"_That_!" I said. "When you get angry, you go berserk!"

"Oh, so now I'm a nutcase."

"Stop it, Eli!" I screamed at him, turning my face to meet his eyes. I didn't care if my eyes were burning with anger and flooded with pain, I wanted him to see what he was doing to me. "_I_ just didn't want you upset because of something my family did!"

We glared at each other for a while, our eyes doing the screaming for both of us. After minutes of sitting in the quiet, Eli's eyes softened and faced the dashboard.

"I'm sorry," I heard him say. "I . . . I should've known you wouldn't have told me about what happened because you had a reason to."

"I understand why you're mad at me about that," I whispered. "I was just hurt that instead of seeing my side, you turned me into some horrible person for all your readers to see."

"That was wrong," he told me. "I'm sorry, but do you understand why I did it?"

"Yes, but seeing that made me think…"

I stopped talking, having the unsettling feeling that he would not like, nor would he want to hear, what I had to say. I turned back to face the steering wheel, hoping that the subject would drop and we could find a way to move on from this.

"Made you think what?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

"It made me think that…that you didn't care about me anymore."

I was unsure how he would react, but I was surprised by what he did next. He gently reached over and took my hand, cradling it in his. My head turned and I saw his green eyes through his mask, his eyes flooded by longing tears.

"I did**_ that_** because I thought**_ you_** didn't care about me."

"You know that's not true, Eli," I sobbed, more tears leaking out of my eyes.

I felt his hand give mine a gentle squeeze; for a brief second, a smile tugged on my lips.

"I do now."

"S-So…you understand why I didn't tell you?"

He nodded.

This wasn't the last time we would talk about this, or even think about it. The memory, the timing, the mistakes; it would all be remembered and discussed at a better time...when it didn't hurt as much.

"How's everything at home?" he asked me, in attempt to make things more comfortable for us.

I shrugged, "Well, Mom's with Nick all the time and Fitz is usually with Owen, so it's a bit lonely. But they aren't on my case twenty-four/seven since I'm not spending time with a 'masked rapist'."

He looked away, clearly deep in thought. I sat there, trying to decide whether I should speak up or stay silent. Before a decision could be made, I heard him.

"Maybe that's for the best."

"What?"

"Maybe it's best that I'm not around. You've been doing fine without me, you're doing fine, and your life isn't hell like it used to be when I was around. If that's the case…maybe then it's better if I stay away from you."

My mind and heart was racing, praying that he was not meaning what he was saying. My weeks without him may have included less drama, but I had never felt so alone in my life. Even when we were strangers and he was merely the boy in the mask, I did not feel alone. I needed him…I cared for him…I loved him.

And I was not going to let him slip through my fingers again.

My heart doing the thinking for me, I ripped the mask off his face, threw it to the side, took his face in my hands, and then smashed my lips to his. I kissed him powerfully, my lips moving against his. His lips were very hesitant at first, but soon he reciprocated the kiss. It was intense and desperate, just like our feelings for each other and the need for us to be in each other's lives.

I don't know how long we kissed, but when I slowly leaned away, he could not hide the grin on his face and neither could I.

"Eli…life without you is the_** real** _hell."

* * *

**ELI'S POV**

I was disbelieved, yet blown away by our kiss.

Her soft lips against my rough ones were incredible. For the first time in what could have been a million years, I felt alive. Our kiss was magical…but was it for the best? Clare and I both got hurt and that could easily happen again if we stay around each other. I was still the messed up freak in the mask and she was still living with a bitch of a mother and her boyfriend and his son; we could not continue like that…we shouldn't.

I was driving all of us home in the hearse; we dropped off Adam first since he didn't live in our neighborhood and then Clare, Fitz, and I started the ride home. I had put on my mask and we all drove in silence. I noticed how Clare kept glancing at me without making it obvious; I did the same, just a little less than I wished since I had to focus on the road.

Morty slowly pulled up in front of their house, coming to a complete stop.

"Your mom's going to freak if she finds out about this," Fitz said to Clare as he began to climb out of the hearse.

"Then she won't find out," Clare spoke sternly, looking at me, rather than Fitz.

I looked in her eyes when I saw that she had just as much confusion and uncertainty in hers as I did in mine.

"Are you coming?" Fitz asked, wondering why Clare was not climbing out of the hearse.

"Give me a minute," she told him, still not meeting his eyes.

"Okay," he closed the door, and walked the steps to her home.

Clare and I sat there, still and quiet. Half of me wanted to remove my mask and kiss her again, but I knew that I had to side with the more painful half…the serious one.

Love is two-faced; warm and bubbly, yet bloody and painful.

"So…what happens now?"

**END OF CHAPTER 19**

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	20. Look With Your Heart

**Author's Note From TurboWiz70:** Thank you all for the incredible reviews, feedback, and support. As always, we highly appreciate it. Here's the next chapter! Read, review, enjoy!

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**Twitter:** TheCliffyG & TurboWiz70

* * *

**_Trespasser_**

**_Chapter Twenty: Look With Your Heart_**

**CLARE**

"You have to go home Eli, you can't just stand there all night," I smiled warmly, watching my mask-less boyfriend standing outside my balcony with a cheesy grin on his face.

"I have good legs, I can stand for a couple of more hours," he tried to compromise, as I glanced back at my open door-the door that must stay open at all times. "My mom is going to catch you, and then you won't be able to come over tomorrow for dinner. You promised you would make a good second-first impression."

"That was because we were cuddling together and I just couldn't say no to your puppy dog eyes," he teased.

I could see his jaw tighten in the night, worrisome thoughts-most likely-clouding his mind, "What if she doesn't like me?"

"Eli," I sighed, leaning over the railing, "We've worked out our differences. My mother understands what Fitz did to me, and ever since he admitted to trying to…take advantage of me, he has been under 'house arrest' across the street. Surprisingly, Nick has stepped up in the parental world."

"Shocking," he smirked, "You know…I don't think I can ever get sick of your face."

"Touché."

His green eyes stared me down with a gentle look; one that made the butterflies in my stomach soar to the heavens. I could feel them multiply, their wings unleashing and flapping to my hearts accord.

"Clare! It's past two in the morning, what are you doing out there?" My mother saw me leaning over the balcony, and quickly approached me, pushing past me with a forced shove.

If she caught Eli, everything would be ruined.

"Who were you talking to? Yourself?" I turned around, and smiled, seeing as though Eli had vanished. He was always good and experienced when it came to hiding from people who want to see him.

"A-Actually, I was talking to God," my cheeks warmed, hearing Eli's low chuckle coming from the bushes. I coughed, trying to cover up his laughter.

"Why are you acting so funny, Clare? Go to bed…you can talk to God there, if you like. The neighbors will worry if it looks like you're talking to yourself on the balcony."

My mother shooed me into my bedroom and closed the doors behind her.

"Goodnight Clare, I love you."

"…I-I love you too mom."

Despite the troubles we had developed, we were working hard to heal the wounds. We were attending family therapy twice a week, for two hours, and even scheduled "family time" to progress in our "relationship". Surprisingly, Fitz and Nick are fun to be around.

Since Fitz and I have balanced off, we have become 'okay' with each other. We were not friends, nor enemies. Nick has begun to learn-through therapy-that being a parent is more important than his extreme self loathing problem and his obsession of constantly being around my mother.

Although we may not be perfect, what "family" is?

After Eli's suicide attempt, we had decided to take things slow in our new relationship, and I moved back in with my mother. Luckily, those circumstances worked quite well with the exception of therapy, which was helping us piece together all of the shattered pieces.

Using his _Stalker Angel_ money, I had convinced Eli to start to go to therapy. Even though he started appointments over a month ago, he has admitted-recently- that he hasn't spoken a word about his troubles…

"_**How was your third appointment? Get anything off your chest?" I asked, stroking my index finger over his chest lightly. **_

_**I listened to his heart beat softly against my ear, "I-I um, to be honest…I'm not comfortable with talking to her yet."**_

"_**That's okay, I mean-it took me ten appointments at family therapy to say something," I reassured Eli, knowing that going by himself, and sitting in a room with a complete stranger whom you're supposed to spill your problems onto was difficult. **_

"_**I've gotten so many opportunities to say something. But then, when I try to talk about-about," he cleared his throat, a sob obviously caught in his throat, "about E-Ethan or my family…I freeze." **_

_**Without asking for permission, or asking if I was moving too fast with our relationship, I used my hands to cup his shaking ones. I smiled warmly at him, and even though he couldn't see it, since we were both lying in his room in the pitch black, my effort was worth a try. **_

"_**Freezing is normal Eli. People get caught up all the time," his hands tightened into fists beneath my touch, "It's just like-it's like when I try to speak…my mind races so quickly, that I draw a blank. I end up making a fool of myself every time."**_

"_**Why don't I come with you to your next session? You don't seem to have a problem talking to me about it," he groaned, burying his head into the pillow, turning his body completely. "Y-You agreed to go to these sessions so that you can seek more advanced help Eli. When I leave your house, do you still hear the voices?" **_

_**I rubbed his back soothingly, feeling his tense muscles contract beneath my hand. Being able to touch Eli; to show him love, and to attempt to make him calm was new for the both of us-but we were slowly but surely becoming accustomed to emotionally depending on one another. **_

"…_**Yes." **_

"_**Then sooner or later, you're going to have to tell your therapist. She's only there to help you with your problems, and that is a big one. Hearing those voices make you on edge, and unhappy, don't they?" I watched Eli turn onto his back, staring up at me. "As long as I can hear your voice when you come over after school to do homework or to hang out on the weekend…I'm okay with dealing with them for a little while." **_

"_**Eli," the lump in my throat built up when he leaned his back against the headboard of his bed. He cupped my cheek, lacing his right hand behind my head, palming my curls, "I'll tell her…when I'm ready." **_

"_**Soon?" my tone was worried, but I couldn't help it-I cared about Eli, all of him. **_

"…_**Soon." **_

_**The tears slipping from his closed eyelids clashed with my cheeks as our lips became one. I closed my eyes, the heat radiating from my face made Eli's skin feel as cold as a stone. He never blushed, although I could feel his palms sweat against my neck or cheek from time to time. **_

_**I smiled into the kiss, his crooked, smooth lips sending chills up my spine. The tingly feeling he gave me spiked an adrenaline rush in my blood stream-as per usual. He produced these foreign emotions, some I've never felt before with KC, and many that I've grown used to in our relationship. **_

_**But there's always a surprise with Eli.**_

"_**I promise Clare, soon."**_

I placed a feather kiss to the heart shaped stone Eli had made a necklace out of for my birthday, before falling into a much needed sleep…

* * *

**ELI**

_**Going to an unplanned therapy session before dinner with your family. I really need this.**_

_**Don't worry, I won't be late. **_

_**-Eli **_

I kept checking my phone every few seconds, anxiety rising in my chest. The waiting room was abnormally empty today, but I was thankful because I didn't want to walk into dinner with Clare's "family" late.

The mask before me clung to my face, hugging it tightly. Sometimes I felt like my head was getting bigger, but nowadays, I just felt like there were more secrets to hide behind it…

_Buzz_

_Buzz_

_Buzz_

_**Take your time Eli. Our house isn't going anywhere. **_

_**-Clare**_

"Elijah Goldsworthy!" The secretary called out, and I smiled behind my mask. I was the only person in here besides her, why did she have to scream?

"Mrs. Russo is in her office, waiting for you-you know the way," she handed me my file, and I thanked her quietly before walking down the hall to my therapists room.

I knocked twice, before hearing her call me inside.

"Come in!" The moment I stepped inside, her hazel eyes widened, "Oh Eli-I'm surprised to see you here, on a Friday night. I believe we don't have a scheduled appointment…"

"W-We don't," I clarified her confusion, "B-But um, I would like to talk, if you don't mind?"

"Of course Eli, take a seat."

My favorite thing I've learned about Mrs. Russo is that she has gone through the loss of a loved one. During my previous sessions, since I haven't spoken much, she usually takes the reins and talks about her life. I've taken note of the sad look in her eyes, and the tiny tear that slides down her cheek when she talks about her deceased husband.

That was the only thing that kept me going here; the mutual knowledge. We both understood each other to a point where I was now becoming comfortable with her presence, and as though I could talk to her about…certain things.

She was about to grab her writing pad, but she laughed, tossing it on the floor, "We don't need that today Eli…now go ahead, I'm all ears."

I nervously took a seat on the couch across from her. I inhaled sharply through my nose, and let the breath out through my mouth, "I have a girlfriend, named Clare."

"Is she cute?" Mrs. Russo's eyelids fluttered teasingly, "Yes…she's cute. She's smart, witty, funny, adorable, caring and everything I could ever ask for in one package. She's my world."

"She sounds special," she noted, "Any troubles with Clare? Is that why you're here?"

"Y-You see…we've been through a lot together. When I first met her, I was intrigued by her presence. I just-I couldn't explain it. She stopped the evil in my world, and pulled me out of this dark pit I put myself in," I explained as well as I could to Mrs. Russo.

"She was having family troubles, so I took her in. I had feelings for her, and she accepted me with the way I looked. Everything about her, everything she did made me believe I made the right choice to help her out. Then, I ruined everything."

"Oh Eli, I'm sure-," I laughed, "We weren't dating at the time-but our friendship was ruined because of me. I kept my past bottled inside me, and one night, when she was sleeping over, I lost it. I completely tore apart a room, and told her everything. I told her my past, my present, all my feelings…I just spilled everything out on the table."

"Did she not want to be around you after that?" I shook my head, "Even worse…she wanted to be there for me. I tried to explain how dangerous that decision was. But it didn't faze her, because she liked me so much she was willing to deal with my demons."

"She sounds like a strong hearted girl, a keeper," Mrs. Russo smiled, folding one leg over the other.

"Lack of communication caused our downfall. We plummeted, and I made a mockery of her in my _Stalker Angel_ edition…then we exchanged harsh words, and the next thing I knew I was standing on the edge. Literally, I was standing on the edge of a cliff…but she saved me. Well, technically this kid Adam did, but in one way or another, it was her who did," Mrs. Russo nodded, taking in my tight posture.

"Eli, between you and I, I can tell how much you care about this girl just by the look in your eyes. She gives you a feeling, right? A feeling that makes you believe that maybe-just maybe, you're not alone," I smiled beneath the mask, "Y-Yeah, she does. And I don't want to ruin what we have now. We've worked _**so**_ hard to get to this stable place, and I feel like I'm going to ruin it tonight."

"What do you have planned tonight?" she asked, leaning her elbows on her knees with this eager look on her face.

"I'm meeting her mother, and most likely soon to be stepfather tonight for dinner. We don't exactly have the best history," I mumbled truthfully, as Mrs. Russo asked, "What do you think you have to do to impress them?"

"I just want her mother to trust me with her daughter. I know she's not one hundred supportive of our relationship, and I want to convince her that we're meant to be-that I'm good for her. I just-I don't know how to do that."

The room, for the first time in ten minutes, grew silent.

I was assuming she was thinking, so I decided to let my eyes wander to their ability.

My skin crawled, hearing Mrs. Russo's voice boom the quiet room, "What do you think is the right thing to do to convince Clare's mother that you're _**the one**_? That…that you're the person who should be trusted with her daughter's body, soul, and heart."

"For s-starters, I think I shouldn't wear the mask," she nodded, "What else?"

"I think that I should be myself, and if they don't like me, then I'll just bury myself in the backyard," I stated pathetically.

Mrs. Russo chuckled, "Oh Eli, if you be yourself, then they'll love you. If Clare likes you as much as you say she does, then I'm sure her mother and soon to be stepfather will as well."

"But what if I'm not ready to take my mask off in front of them? It felt like it took me forever to trust Clare with my face…and I don't want to scare them," tears pricked my eyes, as I stared down at my interlocked hands.

"What did Clare tell you when you took off the mask?" she asked, curiosity in her tone.

"S-She told me I had the most beautiful face she has ever seen," the blood rushed to my cheeks, and I had quickly convinced myself that Clare taught me how to blush so well that it was a trait she passed on to me.

"Do what you think is right Eli," her watch began to beep, and I actually felt slightly melancholy that time was up for this non-scheduled session.

"That's all that matters," she patted my bicep, "I'll see you next week Eli. I can't wait to hear all about your night."

_**What's the right thing?**_

* * *

**CLARE**

"Clare! Eli is here and dinner is ready!" I listened to my mother call out to me from downstairs, her voice echoing my head.

I looked in the mirror, nervously smoothing out the wrinkles in my flowery dress.

"Eli will love what you're wearing," Fitz's voice called out from the door, and I nearly jumped ten feet up into the air at the sound of it.

I bit back my bottom lip, "Y-You think so?"

"From a future stepsister to stepbrother point of view, he won't be able to take his eyes off of you," he admitted nicely, "Now, can you stop being an annoying sister and get downstairs? I'm dying for Helen's tacos-and my dad made enchiladas!"

My lips curled into a grin, as I toyed with the heart stone necklace around my neck, "Alright, it isn't getting any better than this anyways…lets go."

"Ladies first," Fitz bent down, gesturing his hand outwards.

I smiled, "You know, when you're not an asshole…you're very tolerable. You've changed."

"Family therapy helps. You know, hearing everyone's thoughts are relieving to me," he smiled, as I walked in front of him.

For once, everything seemed to be piling up in the right places, at the right time.

Once we reached the doorstep, my heart fluttered to the heavens, seeing Eli standing in the doorway, gripping onto a bouquet of flowers…

_**He had no mask on.**_

**END OF CHAPTER 20**

* * *

**...Feel happy now, but there's two chapters left (plus an epilogue), and A VERY BIG THING is revealed in the last chapter.**

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Cliffhanger Girl & TurboWiz70

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	21. Promise Me Forever

******Author's Note From TurboWiz70:** Thank you all for undying love and support. Thank you to everyone who has been here since the beginning and those who started reading a while ago, thank you. We are so close to 600 reviews and we are really thankful for that. Here's the next chapter. Read, review, enjoy!

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* * *

**_Trespasser_**

**_Chapter Twenty-One: Promise Me Forever_**

**ELI'S POV**

Was I nervous? Yes. Not wearing my mask and allowing all my scars to show made it even more terrifying, but I had to do what was necessary. I had to do this for Clare…and for me.

I now stood in front of Clare's mother as she opened the door for me. My heart sank slightly as her eyes widened at the sight of my face. I expected the scars to catch her off guard, but I did not expect her to be this shocked; being Clare's mother, I half expected her to be as relaxed as Clare was, but that was not the case.

When she quickly pulled herself together, her eyes relaxed and she grinned at me. The disappointing moment passing, I turned up my lips and returned her smile. What increased my happiness more was when Clare arrived next to her mother.

"Hi," she greeted me, a contagious smile on her face.

"Hi," I replied, my nerves now beginning to have a fiesta in my stomach.

"Mom, this is Eli. Eli, this is my mom," Clare introduced us. Thankfully, this meeting did not involve a mask or me being accused.

"It's nice to meet you…again," she said, grinning wildly that we are having this clean slate. This meant the world to me; being able to make up for my past without any harm in anybody's way.

"You too, Miss Edwards," I replied, smirking in response.

"Come on in," she permitted, her and Clare moving to the side to allow me to enter the house.

We all then moved into the kitchen, where I saw Fitz talking to the person who must have been his dad as they set the table.

"Hey, Eli," Fitz greeted me. Nick turned to face us; to my relief, he did not look as alarmed as Helen did. It seems as though he looked a bit excited, and eager to meet me.

"This is Nick and…well, you've already met Fitz," Clare spoke softly, gesturing to the two men.

"Nice to finally meet you, Eli," Nick said as he shook my hand. "Clare never stops talking about you."

"Thanks, Nick," Clare said, blushing that her potential stepfather just said this to me. I grinned, before turning to Fitz. Clare looked at both of us as I shook his cold hand. We both knew that we could never forget the history between us and we understood that it would probably be in the back of our minds for the rest of our lives. Despite this, the two of us were willing to put it behind us, start over, and hopefully begin to heal the wounds that were between us. We just had to take it one day at a time.

Once we were done shaking hands, I heard Clare's mother begin to talk while Clare took hold of my arm with her gentle touch.

"Dinner will be ready in a minute, so you just make yourself at home, Eli," Helen called out, while making her way into the kitchen with a clicking sound to each step from her heels.

"Thank you," I replied, relieved that everything was starting off on a positive note.

"Behave yourselves," I heard Nick tease us.

Clare rolled her eyes with a grin before dragging me to the living room, where we were completely alone. I was pleased about this, since I was hoping to talk to her about my therapy session and I did not exactly want everyone to hear about it. We sat on the couch, where I took her hand and rested it on my thigh.

"I'm glad you came," she smiled at me, giving my hand an encouraging squeeze.

"Me too," I admitted, before leaning in to whisper in her ear. "You look beautiful."

She blushed as I kissed the spot right below her ear. I leaned away to meet her eyes and she was gazing at me with a small grin on her face; she looked at me as though I was out of this world.

"What?" I inquired of her.

"You're not wearing your mask."

"I'm glad you noticed," I smirked, meeting her eyes.

"I just…"

She seemed very surprised, very perplexed. I then had this horrible feeling that she did not want my hideous face to be seen by her family. I felt a knot in my stomach, wishing that I had turned up in the mask after all.

"Do you want me to go get it from home and come back with it on?" I asked her nervously, just wanting her honest opinion on what I should've done. I didn't want to do wrong of her, not when I thought we were progressing so well.

"No," she said hurriedly, holding my hand tightly and softening her eyes. "I'm just surprised, that's all."

"Well, since your family and I are starting over, I thought it would best if they saw who I really am. You know, instead of the freak in the mask."

Clare grinned at me as she scooted closer until her knee was brushing against mine.

"You were never a freak," she told me, before planting a kiss on one of my scars.

It was my turn to blush, for her words brought not only comfort, but they made me feel like I was more than an outsider with a past, but a person who had a role to play in the world.

"How was therapy?" she asked me, leaning away slightly. Her tone was soft, giving me the choice to answer or to turn away. Ever since we started over, she had never pushed me to talk. If I wanted to keep to myself, she would allow me to after assuring me that I could talk to her about anything. Feeling that sense of comfort now, I felt confident in telling her how my appointment went.

"It was good. I talked to Mrs. Russo about some stuff and I told her about what we've been through."

"What did she say about that?"

"She said that you're a keeper," I smirked. "I can't say I disagree."

She blushed. I love that blush. It showed me just how innocent and genuine Clare was, and that's one of the many things I love about her. Her smile was just as breathtaking…so were her eyes, her kiss, everything was perfect…and I never wanted to lose even an inch of it.

"While I was there, I realized something."

"What's that?"

I gazed into her eyes even more, taking her right hand while I continued hold onto her left one.

"I realized that…I really, really care about you, Clare. I mean, I always knew that but…today I realized the way I care about you now is different than how I used to care about you when you first started talking to me. And…on my way here…I realized that I don't want to lose you again. I mean, life was hard enough before you came along, but when you left my life for that period of time…it was worse than ever and…nothing seemed right with you gone. I don't want to go through that again…I don't want to live without you."

I was terrified that saying this would scare her off at first. That fear swiftly melted away when I saw her tears in her eyes in company with the grin on her lips. She then gently put a quick, soft kiss on my lips.

"Eli," she pulled away with a whisper. "I don't want to live without you either."

I was instantly appeased, especially since this meant that I did not scare her anymore and that she actually wanted to be with me. It was still a mystery why she wanted to be with me when she could have had an ordinary guy with a brighter past. But, I was not going to argue while she was the one speaking to me right now.

"And I'm always going to be here for you. I'm not going to go anywhere until you want me out of your life."

"That will never happen," I informed her, a grin coming to my lips. She smiled at me before pulling her hands away from mine so she could secure me in a loving embrace.

"Everything will be alright, Eli," she whispered in my ear.

"I know," I replied. I believed her, because everything was already beginning to seem brighter. I was no longer haunted with every step I took, I was no longer falling into a giant hole in the ground, and I was no longer being swallowed by darkness. All I had to do was learn to pull myself away from my demons…and I would have this beautiful girl by my side to be my guide.

When I felt her lean away from my body, I thought it was because the hug was over and we were going to talk about something else. But she did not pull her arms away from me; instead, she kissed my lips.

I kissed her back, virtuously at first, but as soon as her tongue brushed against my upper lip, I caved in and allowed her full access to me. We began kissing passionately and I was thankful that everyone else was in the kitchen so they did not see me kissing and tugging at Clare's lips with my teeth.

I swallowed all her moans and she did the same to me as we continued the make out session. She held me tighter and she soon tangled all her fingers in my hair. I moved my hands up and down her back, trying to let my mind wander into territory that I should probably not be thinking about while at her house.

"Hey, lovebirds," a voice called out to us. We separated our lips, Clare blushing immensely as we did so. We turned and saw Fitz at the entrance of the living room. "Dinner's ready."

* * *

**CLARE'S POV**

Eli must have been nervous, but he did not show it at all. He wore a grin on his face as we stood up and approached the dining room. The table was set and everyone was already sitting down as Eli and I entered. He pulled out my seat and I grinned at him before I sat down.

"Thank you," I whispered, before he sat down next to me.

We soon began to eat in silence, which worried me instantly. Of course I was worried that there would be moments of silence, but I did not expect the first to arrive so soon. I started wishing that I was back on the couch with Eli just so we could avoid this uncomfortable situation.

"You have a lovely home," Eli said, obviously feeling the same tension as me through the quiet.

"Thank you," my mom said, digging into the chicken on her plate.

"So, Eli, what do you like to do in your free time?" Nick asked, without a full mouth; to my surprise and shock. I had never been so grateful for him for trying to continue the conversation.

"Writing, mainly," he answered.

"Eli's actually a writer. A really good writer, actually," I stated.

"Really?" Mom said, intrigued, cocking her brows up. "What do you write, Eli?"

"A bit of everything," he said. "Some mystery…romance…but horror is my main thing. I've actually published a series called _Stalker Angel._"

I was surprised that he admitted this. I had told him before that my mother is really apprehensive about me reading the content of his work, which is why I did not mention it to anyone. I was really shocked that he told them, but I found it admirable as well; he was really serious about not hiding who he was anymore.

I turned to Mom, who looked flabbergasted. I did not know what to expect, but I hoped that she would not do anything drastic because she did not approve of the material in those books. We were here to start over and Eli was just putting all his cards on the table, so there was not a reason for her to be overly dramatic. She cleared her throat and stared straight at Eli. I held my breath, preparing for anything while praying for nothing over the top.

"Eli…if you don't mind me asking…how did you get the inspiration for those stories? They're so…"

"Morbid?" he finished, trying to give her the appropriate word.

"Yes," she concluded. I was relieved that Eli did not look offended or taken aback; then again, he already knew his work was morbid and that was probably his goal. "Why did you write something like that?"

"Mom," I hissed, annoyed that she was not keeping the open mind I hoped for.

"It's okay, Clare," Eli then said to me. I turned to him, trying to see if he was uncomfortable or anything. I saw his eyes, which seemed to be slightly pained; this made my concern grow and I wished that Mom didn't say a word.

I sat there silently, sensing the tension coming from Eli. I saw him try to collect myself, unsure about how he would react and how he would explain.

"Um…a few years ago, I lost my parents and my little brother in a fire and…I blamed myself for it for a long time. I tried to save my brother, but…I got to him too late and all I have to show for it is are these," he elucidated, gesturing to his scars.

Fitz looked down at his plate. I'm not a mind reader, but I bet he was feeling pretty guilty about bullying Eli like he did in the past. The way he tormented him wasn't right, and the expression on his face screamed guilt.

"Since then…I kind of tried to put my pain into other characters and I always thought that through them I would be able to heal myself, somehow."

I was speechless. Eli completely confessed his past to these people who saw him as the villain of our lives not too long ago. Not only that, but it must have been really difficult for him to say all of this. I was amazed by how strong he was and how he didn't break. I reached over and took one of his hands, cradling it to show him how I was there for him and that I was impressed by the way he kept his composure.

"Eli, I am so sorry," my mom said sympathetically. "That must have been…"

I could see the tears in my mother's eyes, so it did not surprise me that she broke off out of devastation.

"It must have been really hard for you to go through," Fitz said, the guilt present in his tone.

"It was, and still is," Eli stated. "The important thing is that I'm getting real help now, so I should be okay."

"That's terrific, Eli," Nick said, admiring the boy's courage.

"Does this mean you won't write the series anymore?" Mom asked, curiosity in her tone.

"No, I will. I just won't use it as a crutch and I'll just write the characters and not put myself in their shoes as much. I'm actually almost done with the newest edition of the series," he mentioned, attempting to get the conversation going again.

"Really? What's it about?" Fitz wondered aloud.

I was surprised that Fitz was showing interest. I was unsure if he was genuinely intrigued or if he was doing it merely out of support for this fresh start; but all that mattered to me was that he was making some attempt to keep him and Eli on good terms.

"Well, in a volume prior to this one, there was this one character named Clara and she was this person who is a bit of a monster. But in this one, the main character learns that she was really just cursed and that's what caused her to be that way and it was never her intention to be so cold. He actually learns to break the curse and he sees the person she was…underneath it all," he explained, occasionally looking at me out of the corner of his eye.

I smiled at him, amazed that he transformed Clara back into the person he originally created. This means that he no longer saw me as a monster, but someone who had a series of events haunt her and that I was finally free of them all.

In his eyes, I was Clare Edwards again.

I gently rubbed my leg against his and grinned at him, showing my appreciation for what he had done. When he grinned back at me, I noticed a glow in his eye that I was beginning to see more and more as the days passed us by.

"That sounds really interesting, Eli," Nick commented.

I agreed with Nick. It was interesting…and breathtaking…and simply beautiful.

* * *

"It was nice meeting you, Eli," Mom said, shaking his hand hours later.

"It was great meeting you too, Miss Edwards."

He then shook hands with Nick and then Fitz. The dinner was a success of epic proportions; Eli got along with everyone, even Fitz. We all talked, laughed, and even shared a few stories about our lives. I was extremely relieved that my family no longer saw Eli as a monster, but as the amazing guy I see everyday.

"They like you," I commented, holding his arm as we walked to his house.

"I like them too. I think this is a start of a beautiful new chapter," he told me with a grin, tightening his hold on my hand.

"It was really brave of you to tell them about your family," I whispered, stopping the both of us outside on his porch. His light turned on automatically, as I looked up at him, "I never would have been able to do that."

"I never thought I would either, but it's amazing what you could do when you're trying to make things better."

"Well, it was still incredible. I also love your new idea for your new volume of _Stalker Angel_."

"I thought you would," he smirked at me as we inched towards the front door, but remained outside. We locked hands and stood so close that our bodies were almost touching. "I'm happy I came."

"So am I."

He smiled for a second until he looked down at our interlocked hands, which made my heart skip uncomfortably.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"Yeah." His tone was nervous, which only increased my paranoia. "Um…I just want to ask you something."

"Anything," I permitted.

"Would you mind…coming to therapy with me, the next time I go?"

"Not at all, Eli," I told him. I was actually pleased that he asked me to go. He was beginning to open up more and was starting to trust me again. This was actually a new level of trust we never had before and it was amazing that we were reaching this point.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Absolutely," I assured. "I would actually love to go."

His eyes were disbelieved, but I kissed his lips chastely to tell him that I did not have the slightest issue in going at all. As I pulled back, I saw him grinning.

"You're amazing," he whimpered through loose lips.

"So are you," I told him, giving his rough hands a soft squeeze. "Well…I'll see you later," I said to him, wishing that we did not have to part.

"Yes, you will," he informed me with a lopsided grin.

Smiling, I locked my arms around his neck while he held my waist. We leaned in at the exact same time and our lips met halfway. As we kissed, I felt my heart race and my head started soaring into the clouds. My heart dropped when he pulled away, but he did not let go of me, much to my pleasure.

"I love you," he whispered, the words rolling right off his lips.

I blushed slightly. We both knew that we loved each other, we have for some time, but neither of us said it; I decided that since I already told him before that I was falling in love with him, I figured that he should be the one who said those three words to me to show me that he was ready to be loved again.

"I love you too," I breathed out without a regret in the world, before attaching my lips to his.

Like many of our kisses before, I did not want this to end. I never wanted this moment to finish, to slow down, or to speed up; I wanted it to remain constant and still forever…just like how I wanted him forever.

**END OF CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

* * *

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The next chapter is the last chapter (get your tissues ready if you cry easily), and then the epilogue!

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Cliffhanger Girl

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	22. What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger

**Author's Note From TurboWiz70: **Thank you all once again for your amazing reviews and support. We highly appreciated. Here's Chapter 22 and then it's the epilogue. Read, review, enjoy!

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**Twitter:** TheCliffyG & TurboWiz70

* * *

_**Trepspasser**_

_**Chapter Twenty-Two: What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger**_

**CLARE**

"Maybe you shouldn't come…maybe this isn't a good idea," Eli muttered to himself, pacing back and forth in front of me as I sat patiently on his couch. I knew he was struggling to see if whether or not bringing me to therapy was the best thing for us, for our relationship.

"It's one hour Eli, that's all," I attempted to convince him, but he just plopped down next to me, raking his fingers through his hair.

His eyes scanned my body, before asking, "Why does everything have to be so complicated?"

"It's just talking, Eli. We need to learn to talk to each other. You know what happens when we don't communicate with one another."

The blank stare Eli was giving the television before him showed me that the flashbacks of him standing on the cliff, and me, crying hysterically behind Morty's steering wheel was replaying in his mind.

"I don't want you to be disappointed in me if you hear something you don't like," Eli mumbled solemnly.

I gently placed my hands on either side of his face and kissed his lips. His hands rested comfortably on my waist, and I smiled, feeling his thumbs rub in continuous circles over my hip bones.

Our foreheads rested against one another's, as we stared into each other's eyes, "Eli, anything you say could never disappoint me-ever."

"You promise?" his voice shaky, uncertainty written all over it.

What I've learned throughout this relationship is that all Eli needs is a push, and with that push, reassurance. He needs to know that I'm here for him, and that even if he does or says something wrong, I'll still be here.

"I promise."

* * *

**ELI**

"Good afternoon Mrs. Russo," My therapist smiled eagerly, as I blocked her view of Clare. "I brought someone with me today. I-Is it okay if she joins us?"

"Of course! Of course! And no mask on today, I see," Mrs. Russo gestured to open the door fully and take a seat before her on the 'communication couch'. "Nope, no mask today Mrs. R."

Clare laced her fingers through mine, and immediately upon this gesture, Mrs. Russo asked, a blush on her slightly wrinkly cheeks, "I'm guessing this is the Clare we were talking about yesterday?"

"Talking about me behind my back, Goldsworthy?" Clare teased, taking a seat beside me.

"Not a bad thing was said, let me tell you that." Mrs. Russo spoke confidently, flipping her bangs out of her face before placing her clipboard on her desk. "We don't need that today, we're here to talk. Now Eli, why the sudden need to bring Clare with you?"

"Well," I cleared my throat, tightening my grip on Clare's hand, "She's a part of my life now. She's a new page in the book, if you will. I think she deserves to be here with me, and talk about c-certain topics that are normally hard to discuss. I l-love her, and a loved one deserves to know what's going on with one another."

"That's a reasonable explanation. Don't you think so, Clare?" My girlfriends face lit up, seeing as though she'd get to take part in the discussion, "I-I think it is important for us to know what's going on with each other. Secrets aren't good, and we've learned the hard way about what situations we can get into with lack of communication."

"I'm glad you two want to seek help with your lives. You both seem very enthused to get Eli better, mentally and emotionally. Accepting the fact that you need help is a huge step, and you've already conquered that," Mrs. Russo batted her eyelashes, before turning to me.

"How's home life, Eli? Without Clare there, how is it going-overall?" Of course, the first question she asks me is a hard one, one that I didn't want to talk about in front of Clare. I felt her squeeze my hand, and kiss my cheek, "If you're uncomfortable about it, we don't-."

I cut Clare off, "No, I want to talk about it. I-I hear the voices, still. I hear them whenever Clare isn't with me, or sleeping over. She hasn't been spending much time at my house since we're always going out together or spending time at her house. But what I haven't told her is that I'm still struggling with the voices."

"What do they tell you?" Mrs. Russo asked curiously, resting her interlocked hands on her lap.

"T-They tell me how worthless I am…and how I don't deserve Clare. Which, I know I don't, but somehow, she's still here. Just the thought of knowing that in the morning I can pick up Clare, hold her hand, and talk to her like we're actually a normal couple is what gets me through the nights at my house."

"What makes you think you guys aren't a normal couple?" I scoffed, "I-I'm messed up in the head, hearing voices and I've got memories of a traumatic event that taunts my conscious almost every second of the day except when I'm with Clare. She makes me forget everything bad, and even if it's just for an hour, I appreciate the distraction. I'm too dependable on Clare, I know that, but I just don't know how to _**not**_ be so…clingy, needy."

"Eli, you're not-," Mrs. Russo interrupted Clare, "What do you think you need to do so that you're not so attached to Clare? Yes, you're a couple, you should be together. But what do you think you should do?"

A silence came upon us for the first time during the session, and I was drawing the biggest blank of my life.

Clare rested her hand on my knee; an act of comfort that I've always found settling.

"I-I've considered moving into a new apartment. But then I think that I can't be as close as I would like to be to Clare. Then there's another consequence; that the voices can follow me to the new place. I'm afraid it'll follow me wherever I go." My doubt in my voice lingered the room, the silence nearly suffocating me.

"What if I told you that you were right, Eli? That everything you hear is in your head, that it will follow if you choose to pay attention to it," Mrs. Russo encouraged my theory that the voices was a mental issue, that I could only help myself.

"What are you talking about? I'm not living in some shitty Paranormal Activity movie, this is real! I hear their voices like I hear yours." I felt Clare tug at my arm, before whispering, "Calm down" into my ear.

"It's just a constant struggle," I admitted, "I love Clare, I do. But, when she's not around I feel like I'm still in a downward spiral."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Clare asked in a hushed tone, tears flooding over her eyes.

"I-I didn't have the heart to admit to you that I still feel down when you're not around. I feel like it's a selfish thing to do; if I told you that the second you leave I'm suffering. I know that for a fact if I did tell you, then all you'd be doing is worrying about me and trying to work around your own schedule for me. I don't want to keep holding you back, it's not right," I whispered, chocking back a sob caught in my throat.

Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I quickly wiped them away, "I-It's really hard for me to keep staying in that house. I feel like Ethan is still there, running around with his little pair of binoculars hanging from his neck because he always had them on. Sometimes I see him, but I never see my parents, I only hear them."

"Do you believe that these voices are real?" Mrs. Russo asked, pushing the issue. I nodded, "Of course they're real! I hear them in that house, my parents and Ethan are there! They've been there ever since I moved into that place, and they told me they weren't leaving, ever."

"Clare, when you're inside Eli's house, do you hear them?" Her lips parted, and I could almost hear the mental argument she was having with herself. A part of her wanted to admit that she never could hear them, but another part of her wanted to take my side, and say she does hear them.

"No," she breathed out, as I rubbed my hand slowly over hers.

"Have you ever heard of Schizophrenia, Eli?" I nodded, "What does t-that have to do with me?"

"I've been observing you for quite a while. Even if you haven't talked to me much, I can still make a diagnosis with the information I do have."

My chest tightened, bracing for Mrs. Russo's closing statement, "I've been considering several other diseases, as well as schizophrenia. Certain events are known to trigger schizophrenia in people who are at risk for it because of their genes. Before your parents passed away, did they ever tell you of your family history?"

I watched with a blank expression as Mrs. Russo pulled out a thick file from her desk, and handing it to me, "Your Grandfather, Michael Goldsworthy, was diagnosed at sixteen with schizophrenia after his mother died of Cancer. You see Eli; it runs in the family, in your genes. This isn't your fault, you could've never controlled what you have."

"A-Are you sure about this?" I asked nervously, the lump in my throat growing larger.

I could no longer feel Clare holding my hand next to me or rubbing my back to comfort me. My mind was racing, and not even Clare could distract me now.

"Unfortunately Eli, I am sure."

"S-So I'm sick?" I asked, staring down my therapist as if she was going to change her diagnosis.

"Let me explain the disease to you before you jump to any conclusions that I'm wrong, or just trying to fill your mind with garbage. Normally, schizophrenia starts with irritable or tense feelings, along with trouble concentrating and sleeping," My head bobbed lightly, showing her that she could continue.

I gripped onto Clare's hand for dear life, listening to Mrs. Russo proceed, "The type of schizophrenia you have, I would diagnose as Paranoid Schizophrenia. These symptoms include anxiety, anger or arguing, along with false beliefs that others are trying to harm you or your loved ones. Have you ever thought that other people were trying to harm you, or have you ever assumed that the ones you loved were trying to hurt you? It doesn't have to be physical harm, just any type of harm."

With a loud sob escaping my lips, I admitted, "Y-Yes."

"It's alright Eli, it's okay," Clare whispered in my ear repeatedly, rubbing my back in smooth circles and leaning her head on my shoulder.

"Don't cry Eli, we've caught this in time. Although it can't be cured, it can be helped and paid attention to. You're at an early stage, and with the right dosage of antipsychotic medication, you'll be able to begin to live in peace with your own mind. There are side effects to these pills, and I'd like to talk to Clare alone about them."

"I want to hear them," I sniffled, repeating in a firm tone, "I want to hear them."

"Are you sure?" Clare asked, pulling a hair from my face and tucking it behind my ear.

"I-I'm sure, tell me."

I lazily flipped through my Grandfathers file, trying to read the excessive amounts of treatments through my tear filled eyes.

"Common side effects of this type of medication may cause dizziness, feelings of restlessness or what teenagers might call 'jitters'. The pills can cause you to be very sleepy from time to time, and your movements can become slower. Weight gain is the most common system; but with a healthy diet and exercise schedule, you'll be able to become healthy and mentally stable. Now these risks will not hit you all at once, but they might show up from time to time." Mrs. Russo was out of breath, her cheeks red from explaining the consequences of the medication.

"Will the voices go away?" I asked shakily.

"If you go on the medicated pills I prescribe you with, then yes, eventually they will start to disappear. But I will warn you that they do not completely go away, they might surface back from time to time."

My lips curled into a grin, as I looked back and forth between Clare and Mrs. Russo, "For all these years since the accident, I thought I was going insane from the trauma. I hid myself in my book, writing and writing until my fingers had gone numb. H-Honestly, it's a relief to hear that what I have, I can't help. It's comforting to know that even though the voices might not completely leave me, I'll still be able to reduce them to an extent. I don't know what I'd do without you, Mrs. Russo…or Clare. If she hadn't convinced me to come here, I would most likely still be inside my dark house, writing Stalker Angel, wearing my mask, while practically committing mental suicide by listening to those voices."

"W-Will he be okay?" Clare asked, looking up at my therapist. Mrs. Russo was scribbling down something on her prescription pad, before responding, handing me the paper, "Eli will be fine, and he will progressively start to get better. You will see a change in him Clare, I promise. But, as long as you are on this medication I would like to see you twice a week, okay?"

I stood up, and she held out her hand to shake, "I promise Eli, there will be better and brighter days."

My left hand gripped tightly onto my Grandpa Michael's file, never wanting to let it go. I wanted to go home, to study it, and to find out what he did wrong, what he did right...this way, history wouldn't repeat itself.

"I'll be seeing you on Monday and Wednesday next week. I swear, I won't let you down," I smiled at Mrs. Russo through the tears, and asked, "Can I k-keep this file until Monday?"

"I'm not allowed to let you take it home, but I can let you look at it during our session on Monday."

Reluctantly, I handed Mrs. Russo the file back, and looked at Clare, "C-Can we stop on the way home to fill up the prescription?"

"Of course Eli, I'll drive."

* * *

**CLARE**

"Here's some water," I placed the glass beside Eli at the table, as he stared down at the two pills he would have to swallow. His very first two pills; the pills that would start his route to _recovery. _

I pulled up a chair across from him, our knees touching, "Do you…not want to take them?"

He shook his head immediately, "I-I want to, it's just that everything is settling in. The Schizophrenia, our relationship, it's a bit overwhelming. I'm excited to take them, I want to get better."

I placed the two pills in my hand, and asked, "Want me to make taking pills more enjoyable?"

We've both had a long, unexpectedly emotional day at therapy, and I felt that we deserved a little playful banter. Although the situation is a serious matter, we could still try to make it easier for Eli. I smiled confidently, before saying, "Follow my lead."

I placed the two pills in my mouth, and Eli was already confused. I grinned, locking my right hand behind his head, and crushing our lips together. He parted his mouth, moaning into the kiss. I slipped my tongue through the slit, cautiously placing the two pills inside his mouth.

Our foreheads were pressed against each other's, and I felt his breath tickling my lips lightly. I watched his Adams apple bob, showing he swallowed his first two pills. I handed him the water, and he took it in appreciation.

After downing the entire glass, he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me down into his lap, "You sure know how to make things better Edwards."

I kissed his fingertips playfully, before cupping his hands in my lap, "I love you Eli, and I'd do anything to take away your pain. Even though I can't take all of it away, I'll try my best to do what I can."

He cupped my cheek, our lips moving together in sync. His teeth grinded into my bottom lip urgently, while my tongue slipped through his lips. I could feel his cheeks become warm against my skin as I let my legs dangle from the chair on either side.

My legs locked around his waist and I let out a loud squeal, feeling Eli pick me up, never breaking the kiss. His hands remained wrapped around my back, not daring to travel South.

Was it bad that a part of me wanted him to…go further?

"Eli stop! You're going to drop me-I'm too heavy!" I yelped, gripping onto his shoulders nervously. His lips attacked my face, placing kisses all over where his lips could get to, "You're light as a feather…my beautiful, fragile feather."

When we reached the pole to slide down into his room, I mumbled against his lips, "You're going to have to let me down so we could go to your bedroom…"

"I-I don't want to let you go," he whispered aggressively, and my heart stopped, wondering if the 'anger' symptoms was already making an appearance.

"I'm just kidding!" He laughed, placing me down on my feet, "Slide down; I'll be there in a minute.

"Okay," I smiled giddily, kissing his lips briefly before making my way down, and walking into his room.

My eyes wandered, a feeling of awe overcoming my body. The entire room was lit up, whether it was the awkward Christmas lights that were hanging over his bed, or the new lamp shining brightly in the corner. His desk wasn't cluttered, but cleared off with a few pieces of neatly stacked papers resting harmlessly.

I felt my nose scrunch up, a lump in my throat growing bigger as I stared at the picture resting on Eli's desk. It was a photograph of him and Ethan. Ethan and Eli were standing side by side, with an "I love my brother!" t-shirt on that was pointing to one another.

"I was a cute kid, huh?" I jumped; goosebumps forming over my arms-even though I knew it was Eli's voice.

"Y-Yes, yeah you were."

My body turned towards Eli, who was holding up two sodas, "I thought you were thirsty from all that…making out."

"What a gentleman," I teased, taking a sip from the soda can.

Eli removed his shoes, and his blazer soon followed. He smirked, patting down the empty spot beside him on the bed.

"Are you sure?" I asked worriedly, not wanting to push any limits.

"There's an open spot for a reason…you're not sitting in it yet," he spoke softly; resting his soda can on his bedside table.

I nervously made my way into the bed, sitting cross legged beside him. Eli picked up my hand, resting it in his lap, and began toying with my fingers.

"What are we going to do, Clare? About me? About us?" He was always so pessimistic, questioning the future; our future.

"We'll grow," I began, "We'll learn how to cope, how to deal. I can't promise you that it'll be all rainbows and unicorns, but I can promise you that this doesn't change the way I think of you. I love you Eli, with all your flaws. You're still perfect."

I slid my hand up his arm, and placed a light kiss on his neck, to his jaw, "I love you so much…"

"And I want to prove it to you," Eli gave me a look, a look that I couldn't describe. I thought he was just confused at my choice of explanation, so I leaned in to give him a kiss; to show him what I was talking about.

But when he turned his head, my lips planting a granny kiss on his cheek, I frowned.

"Oh…I get it, you don't want to. That's fine-," I tried to get out of the bed, but Eli grabbed my wrist, palming it softly.

"I'm no sex expert, but I believe this should be talked about rationally before jumping into it," he opened his arms, pulling me into his side gently. I rested my head on his shoulder, and began playing with his fingers to distract myself from what I was about to say.

"Don't people who love each other have sex?" I asked, and he nodded, "People who do love each other have sex…but this isn't the right time or place. I-I just found out about my…my condition, and you're not ready either."

"How do you know if I'm ready or not?" I pulled my head back, staring into his green eyes, "If I touched your breast right now…you'd flinch. I'm one hundred percent sure."

"Oh yeah tough guy? You think-," I gasped, feeling his warm hand engulf my right breast through the thin fabric of my shirt. I slapped his hand away, "What the hell was that for?"

He retreated his hand, resting it on my knee, "To show you that you're not ready. You gasped, and slapped my hand. I love you, but that doesn't mean you're ready for sex. I believe that sex is supposed to be worked up to, and we're both supposed to be ready."

"Groping me doesn't prove that I'm not ready…no one has ever touched me like _that_ before s-since Fitz. I'm just-," Eli smirked, kissing my forehead. "We'll work our way up Clare, there's no need to rush our love. We have forever, right?"

"Forever."

My head rested against Eli's chest, and I listened to his heartbeat thumping in rhythm against my ear.

"I want you to have this," I whispered, sliding the purity ring off my finger. "I know we're going to make love someday, but I love you, and want you to hold onto it. You deserve it, you've stolen my heart."

"Stop being so cheesy Edwards," he teased, kissing my lips.

"When I was ten, I was given this ring to show that I was waiting until marriage for sex. But, it also says you have to be in love, and I am in love with you. I've never realized the double standard, until now."

The moment Eli slipped the ring onto his pinky finger, being that his other fingers are too lanky for my size; I knew that this was right.

Although we both had several, intense flaws that brought out the worst and the best of us, we belonged together. The universe had spun in a certain direction to bring us where we are now, holding onto one another, and exchanging "I love you's" until the sun rises in the morning.

_And I wouldn't change it for anything in the world. _

**END OF CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO**

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Cliffhanger Girl and TurboWiz70

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	23. Chapter 23

**Author's Note From The Cliffhanger Girl:** Thank you guys so...so much for all your support throughout this story. Please keep in mind that this is FICTION based off FICTION. We love you guys, and thank you for continiously keeping us motivated. **You can blame me for the delay on this update; I haven't been feeling well and school wasn't helping with writer's block.** We both worked really hard on this epilogue, so please leave feedback :)

**Author's Note From TurboWiz70: **Well guys, here we are. The final chapter of "Trespasser" is upon us. Five months and almost two weeks this story has been on FFN and I would like to thank you all for the support. It has definitely been a crazy ride full of many unexpected turns and it is definitely bittersweet to see it end. Sweet because you guys finally get to see how it all ends and bitter because that means that Cliffy and I are done writing this fic. Thank you all for the incredible feedback and thanks for sticking with us. You guys are the best. Without further ado, the last chapter of "Trespasser". Read, review, enjoy!

**Twitter:** TheCliffyG & TurboWiz70

* * *

_**Trespasser**_

_**Epilogue: Trespasser **_

**CLARE'S POV**

I could not believe how great this was feeling. He was being gentle but I was feeling so much building up inside me that I could barely notice.

"E-Eli," I whimpered, my breath hitching.

"Happy six month anniversary," he whispered to me as he continued kissing my neck. I tried not to moan, but I could not fight it. His hand was on my right breast and I could not believe that I've waited so long for him to do this. He has done it a couple of times before, but never in my room.

My mom and Nick were on a date and Fitz was with Owen, so Eli and I had the house to ourselves. We had been dating for half a year at this point and he brought over a bundle of roses for me in company with a very sweet note that declared his love for me. This resulted in us going to my bed for a steamy make-out session.

I had to admit that it was still a bit awkward for Eli to be touching me on my breast over my bra, but once I relaxed, I was content…turned on even.

After he left multiple kisses on my lips and neck, we eventually released each other and lied on the bed. My head was resting on his chest as he held me against him. It was nice and comfortable and I never wanted it to end.

I lied there and took in many breaths in company with the moment that had just passed. This may not have been my first physical experience with Eli, but every time seemed new and it was so overwhelming yet so amazing. I could not describe what Eli does to me, except that it took my breath away.

"I love you," he whispered to me.

"I love you too," I replied. "How long can you stay?"

"For as long as you want me to," he said. "Or until your mom gets home; whatever comes first."

I grinned and snuggled closer to him, hoping that my mother stayed out for a long, long, long, long, **_long _**time. I rested with Eli as he caressed by back; it was these moments of peace and contentment that that I lived for and I could not imagine spending them with anyone better.

"So…I have something to tell you," I heard him say.

"Yeah? What?" I asked him.

"I've been saving up my money from _Stalker Angel_ and…I have enough money to rent an apartment across town. It's not too big, but spacious. I really-I really like it Clare."

I was sitting up and my mouth was agape by the time he was done telling me this. I was surprised that he was leaving the house he had lived in for years and moving to a new neighborhood. I was pleased that he was thinking about taking this step, for it would mean that he would be around other people. What worried me more was if he would take off his mask, for no doubt people will judge him more for wearing the mask than showing the scars.

He had been wearing the mask less and less, but he would keep it on whenever we went certain places because there were times when people ridiculed his scars. I understood why he was more hesitant and I was not going to push him; he was making so much progress and asking him to bite off more than he can chew was out of the question.

And this was why I was sort of worried about him leaving his house.

"Eli, that's…"

"Unexpected?" he assumed, sitting up as well.

"Yeah," I admitted. "I mean, I'm glad that you want to do that, but…why do you suddenly what to move?"

"I just think it's time for a change. Getting out of the house I'm in now and changing my surroundings may do me some good."

I did not want to lecture Eli as if I was some sort of authoritarian, but I desperately wanted to be sure that he was not rushing into this or that he was just wishfully thinking that this would make the voices disappear. He understood that his mind was **_haunted,_** not the house, but there were times when he heard them and he would insist that we could get into Morty and drive so he could escape them. I said a silent prayer that these voices were not getting worse and that he had created an impossible fantasy.

"Eli…is therapy going alright?"

"Yeah, it's going fine," he answered, although I heard the shock in his voice.

"And the voices? They're not coming around as much, right?"

"Clare, I'm fine," he assured me. "I'm taking the meds, I'm seeing my therapist periodically, and I'm not hearing the voices as much. I think it's time to see if I can start fresh somewhere new; somewhere less depressing."

I licked my top lip in thought, reviewing his points and the evidence in front of me. If Eli was certain and if he meant every word he was saying, maybe moving would be good for him. I would be disappointed that I would not be able to walk a few steps to see him, but as long as he was happy and doing fine, I would survive.

"Well, if that's the case, I think it's a good idea."

"You really think so?" he asked, an eager smirk spreading across his face, even though he really did not need my permission.

"Yes," I nodded. "I'll be able to come see you, right?"

"Of course. And, if you want, you can stay the night at times."

"Really?" I asked, the blood rushing to my cheeks; the idea sounding very inviting.

"Definitely," he answered. "And I know I'm not going to be next door anymore, but I'm not going to be far away."

"Thankfully," I grinned at him. "I'm proud of you, Eli."

He rewrapped his arm around me and I did the same to him, locking eyes with each other.

"Couldn't have done it without you, blue eyes," he smiled at me before taking my lips in for a blissful kiss.

* * *

Ever hear the phrase "looks could be deceiving"? Well, that statement could not be more true than when Eli and I started packing up his house. You would think that he would have many belongings, living in a mansion and all. In reality, most of the items in the house were there when he moved in.

"I lost most of my possessions in the fire and I rarely bought anything else unless I had to," he explained as we began loading the limited quantity of boxes into the back of his hearse; this was cheaper than getting a moving truck and we did not see the need with so few boxes.

Eli's new home was only a five minute drive away from my house; this would mean a fifteen minute walk, which I did not mind. It was a decent size furnished apartment with a kitchen, a living room, a bedroom, and a bathroom. It was definitely lighter than his old home and it did not look haunted in any way.

As we began moving the boxes in and talking about the plans he had for it, I knew that this place would be good for him. He was not even fully moved in and he was already developing a spring in his step.

"Then maybe I could put my desk here," he said, gesturing to the window. "Then I can look outside every time I need some inspiration."

"Sounds great, Eli," I told him, wrapping my arms around his waist as he secured an arm around my shoulders.

"Now I just have to unpack and then we can get some dinner; would you mind ordering in since I don't have anything here yet?"

"It's your place," I reminded him. "I'm just a guest here."

"But what's mine is yours, love," he whispered huskily, meeting my eyes. I wanted to melt as I saw his green eyes glow with pure happiness. "You're way more than 'just a guest'."

I smiled at the irony that crossed my mind; long ago, Eli refused to see me as more than a guest, but now I was more than that. I stood on my toes to kiss his lips before leaning back to grin at him.

"How about we order in, we watch a movie, and then we…well, we'll just see when the night goes from there?"

"_Parfait_," he purred before leaning down to kiss my lips in a strong kiss again.

* * *

**ELI'S POV**

Clare helped me unpack my boxes, we ordered Chinese, and now we on the couch as we watched the movie. My arms were around her as she kept her head on my chest and I could not resist looking down at her. I was amazed at how peaceful she looked. These past few months have not been the easiest and there were times when I did not understand why she still wanted to be with me.

On more than one occasion, I lost it. I dealt with a living hell and I brought Clare with me. I was definitely not the easiest person to handle, but she would be with me and stay by my side until I was calm again. She had so many opportunities to walk away, but she never did.

_**And that's why I love her. **_

On the easy days, she stayed with me. On the hard days, she stuck through it with me. I was getting better little by little every day because of her. I was thankful for her for this and so much more. I was grateful for her love, her kindness, her care…I could go on. One of the aspects I valued most, however, was her trust in me.

I may have been a monster, but she still had faith in me. She entrusted me with her secrets and she still felt like she could come to me and that I would not hurt her. She even trusted me enough to pursue our physical relationship, because she knew that I would not cross any boundaries. We didn't even have to be kissing for me to take these steps, which made me see just how much just believed in me…

_She was lying on the couch of her house, her head resting on my lap as I caressed her arm while she faced the other side of the room. She had a long day at school with tests and homework and she was extremely stressed because of it._

"_Are you okay?" I asked, seeing her wince in response. _

"_I have a bit of a stomach ache," she explained._

_I hated seeing her in any pain and I always wished to snatch it away from her until she did not feel anything but happiness. By now, I knew how to help her with her emotional pain, but her physical ailments were a bit more difficult to alleviate since I could only do so much. _

"_Can you trust me?" I asked, hoping my method could help._

_She nodded. Prepared for her to be alarmed yet hoping that she would not, I cautiously inched my hand towards her waist. I slowly slid my hand up her shirt. She flinched at first and her muscles contracted, obviously astonished that I took it this far._

"_Relax," I said softly. "I'm not going to hurt you."_

_Her muscles eased out of their petrified state and I took that as a sign to continue. I worked my hand over to her stomach and began rubbing her skin in small circles. I felt her smooth skin beneath my palm and fingers and wished I would be able to see it with my eyes someday. I felt her navel ever so often and I could not help but grin at the feeling, dreaming about touching it again on a different occasion…_

"_Is this helping?" I asked her._

"_A lot," I heard her whisper. I smirked in accomplishment before leaning down to kiss her temple._

"_I love you."_

"_I love you too."_

"What're you thinking about?" My concentration was broken by the sound of her voice, lingering in the air softly.

I smirk at her, pulling a curl behind her ear, "You and me, us."

To my surprise, I feel her plump limps against mine, as I slip my tongue into her mouth gently. I feel the warmth of her tongue invade my mouth, while my hands rest at her sides. An alluring moan echoes through the canal in my throat, causing goose bumps to rise over my skin.

"You're so beautiful, you know that, right?" I mumbled softly against her lips, as she nodded her head against mine.

"You've told me too many times Eli…"

"Well how many times do I have to say it until you actually believe me?" I teased, resting my lips against her earlobe, as she shuttered blissfully beneath my frame. Her heart raced against my chest, and the thought that the only thing separating us was the clothing over our skin sent shivers up my spine.

"I love you, you know that," she whispered, biting down on my bottom lip, while her fingers lightly traced over the scar on my cheek.

Her hands roamed up my shirt, the touch of her cold fingertips raking over my chest, created a warm feeling inside me. Never have I felt such a powerful surge of emotion soaring through to my inner core.

Without thinking clearly, my mind feeling clouded with only one urge, I slipped my hand underneath Clare's flowery blouse. Her skin was burning against my cold hand, the contact becoming too overwhelming. I wanted to feel her, all of her, all in this one moment of passion.

My fingers grazed over the clasp of her bra in the front, while my teeth teased her lips. She slipped her tongue into my mouth, instantly radiating heat around me. Her body gave off strength, love, and reassurance.

"Unclasp it." The two words fell from her lips when she broke the kiss.

At first, I wasn't sure if I heard her correctly. I was about to ask her to repeat the daring statement so the false thoughts swimming in my mind would silence. But the moment her small hand followed up my arm, and palmed my hand, she placed my hand over the clasp.

"I said to unclasp it, Eli."

"Are you-?" I was cut off by her eagerly nodding head. The way her curls were tickling my forehead gave me the push to grasp my index fingers against the clasp and unhook it. With two thumbs, I shakily removed the butterfly patterned bra, along with her shirt.

"W-Why aren't you looking?" She stuttered, her legs tightening around my waist as she pulled me down closer to her on the couch.

I wasn't experienced in this _field_, even though I have done touched her over her bra before. But I wasn't very _intelligent_ when it came to fully pleasing the needs of women. I've never been in this situation before, and to be quite honest, the chance of my heart ripping through my skin was becoming higher as the seconds passed.

"D-Do you not want to…to look?" Clare whimpered, her fingers lacing through my hair nervously.

The lingering disappoint in her voice was as clear as day. She thought that I didn't want to, that she wasn't beautiful enough. But the truth behind the mask was that I was nervous; I was petrified of hurting her or doing something wrong.

"I-It's both our first time, Eli." She tried to convince me that it was okay to be scared, to not want to ruin anything. The way her fingernails grazed gently from my neck down to my lower back slightly cured the anxiety that was trying to creep its way higher up inside me.

_**Clare deserved perfection.**_

"J-Just give it a try. If you don't like it then we'll stop, finish unpacking some leftover stuff and give it a go another time. Just please Eli, try." The desperation in her tone gave me the courage to slowly open my eyelids, my gaze wrapped around the sight of her bare torso.

A small hint of hesitancy showed as my right hand twitched above her right breast. The way it looked was intimidating; mocking me of my innocence.

For a small second my eyes peered up to Clare's angelic face. She was glowing, her normally white skin seeming brighter than the sun.

"I love you." I whispered truthfully, before locking my left hand behind her neck, and bringing her into a kiss.

My right hand palmed Clare's breast, the skin on skin contact seeming to have an effect on both of us. A small moan escaped her lips, and I gladly took it in, seeing as though when I pinch her nipple, it arches her hips up into my lower region. To say I was hard by this point would be an understatement. The way my cock was painfully pulsing against the cloth of my tight skinny jeans couldn't fool anybody.

"D-Do you like that? Talk to me Clare, I need to know if I'm doing something right." I begged for her communication, wanting nothing more than to hear if I'm doing what she needs.

"It's perfect." Her warm breath soothed my lips as her small hand roamed down to my belt buckle.

The blood rushed to my cheeks within an instant, feeling her hand grip onto my length through my jeans and boxers. I threw my shirt over my head, tossing it aside as Clare got on her knees with me on the bed, our chests touching.

"I can feel your heart a-against mine." I stuttered, but I didn't care. It was true, I could feel her heart against mine, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Her hand lingered in a dangerous territory, and I watched as she teased my buckle. I couldn't tell if she was nervous, or just trying to sexually torture me. Either way, the way she was biting back her bottom lip with just a tiny bit of tongue poking through her swollen lips was enough to make me as hard as stone.

"I really don't want to mess this up. So just-just tell me what you want, okay?" Clare pleaded, looking into my eyes as I swallowed the throbbing lump in my throat, forcing it down.

I assisted Clare in removing my pants, then hers, and when she freed my cock by throwing my boxers onto the floor, her eyes widened. Was there something wrong with it? Did it not look like others? Was it abnormal? Too small? Too big?

"W-What's wrong? Not uh-not big enough or something?" I asked, my palms sweating and a part of me wanting to cover up before she could laugh her head off.

"No, not at all. I've just never seen one before and it's uh…," she shook her head, smiling bashfully at the blankets. "Never mind, I'm being stupid. Just ignore me, and relax."

The warmth of her hand slowly gripping into a tightened fist sent a tingling feeling all over my body. I watched in admiration as her fist pumped slowly up and down, the friction causing small pre-cum to spill from the tip. I was about to apologize, but before I could, I had witnessed her tongue make a first appearance of the night.

I wasn't one to curse around Clare, but I couldn't help it.

"F-Fuck." The word slipped through my clenched teeth, pleasure coursing through my veins as her mouth wrapped around the tip. My thigh muscles twitched underneath her hands, which were currently rubbing over my thighs.

"Does this hurt?" I asked, raking my fingers through her curls, massaging her scalp.

She only bobbed her head down further, ignoring my question. I decided not to talk, and my racing heart took the wheel. It was hard to believe that this was her first time doing this because to me, she was acting like a professional.

I was pulled out of my thoughts when her lips dethatched from my painfully hard cock. Her blue eyes glanced into mine, a questioning look in her eye.

"Are you close?" I heard her ask, her index finger slipping back and forth over the slit.

"U-Um." My throat was extremely dry, the words seeming to be all caught up. "Y-Yeah, I guess-I mean, I don't really-."

"You've never had an orgasm before?" Her tone wasn't judgmental, more or less concerned and shocked.

"Then let's do it." Clare declared, and my cock nearly exploded seeing her backside while she dug through the drawer that held up the living room lamp.

"I want my first orgasm with you too Eli…and I don't want to stop." Her hand shook in front of my face, the sealed condom taunting me.

I stood up, wrapping my arms around her waist, my lips resting comfortably against hers. She squealed into the kiss when I hoisted her up into my arms, and her wet panties rubbed against my length.

"I love you so much." She said, smiling happily into a frenzied kiss while I led her to the bedroom. I walked cautiously, trying not to bang her head or legs into any boxers or furniture.

When we reached the "master bedroom", I slowly laid her down beneath me, and without a thought in my mind, I began to kiss her belly. She giggled, her fingers slipping through my locks, tugging at them gently as my teeth tugged at her panties.

"Mr. Goldsworthy is quite eager today, no?" Clare teased, her seductive tone making my mouth water for her body.

"Are you sure Clare? I mean, we've talked about it before but we've never gone this far and I don't want to fuck-." She cut me off, slapping my cheek lightly, "If you keep talking, then you'll mess it up. We love each other, don't we? Why can't we show it then?"

"There's no reason not to." I mumbled excitingly, my lips tightening as Clare traced over the words of her purity ring resting around my pinky finger.

"We waited long enough Eli, we deserve this."

In a matter of seconds, my forearms were resting on either side of her face while I planted butterfly kisses to her face. Her warm chest radiated heat that I never thought could be humanly possible. My cock was lined up at her entrance, and the tight pathway concerned me the most.

"It's going to hurt, right?" Her eyelids clenched shut, as she gripped onto my sweaty shoulder blades, begging lowly to get it over with.

My hips slowly rose, jerking into her. She gasped for breath, the warm tunnel around my cock sending nothing but jolting vibes of pleasure throughout my body. The look on her face made me stop my movements, concern washing over my face.

"K-Keep going Eli, no one told you to stop." Clare whimpered into my ear, as I kissed her cheek, slowly rocking my hips back and forth into her. A tiny amount of blood oozed over my dick, and my blood felt frozen inside me.

"D-Does it hurt that bad?" I asked, and she laughed, although the tears continued to stream down her cheeks.

"I'm fine, it's normal. Just keep moving. I love you," she reminded me, her swollen lips crashing against mine.

Our bodies were mangled together, limbs in all different directions as her moans filled the air. My breaths hitched as her actions became bolder; from her frantic back arches to her frazzled hip jerks, I was lost in the love.

From her sweaty, knotted curls to her lust filled eyes, down to her swollen lips and cold fingertips, I was in love. Everything about her body lured me in, made me want more when I already had it all.

_**She was mine, and I was forever hers.**_

We reached our peeks at the same time, her chest rising against mine, my arms shaking above her frame. Without warning, my strength had given out on me and my upper torso collapsed on top of her. She didn't complain about the extra weight, or the sweat coating each other's bodies; just smiled as I grinned goofily up at her.

My eyelids were becoming heavy; the thought of what had just happened still didn't process yet.

Slowly, I pulled out of her.

A low groan escaped the pink, plump lips that I loved so much. I rolled off the condom, throwing it into the trash bin beside _**our**_ bed.

She pulled the sheets over her, and shared them, resting my half from the waist down. I wrapped my arms around her body, inhaling the intoxicating scent that she effortlessly gave off.

I kissed her lips briefly, resting my head against hers.

"You've done a lot of things Clare. But one in particular will always stand out to me." Clare looked up at me, her heart beating loudly against her creamy skin.

"I'll never forget the day that you trespassed my yard. But, I'll especially never forget the day you trespassed my heart. I love you."

**END OF TRESPASSER**

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**...so, reviews please? ;)**

Love you guys,

Cliffhanger Girl & TurboWiz70

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